Capital’s roads shut down as Olympics open
The final journey of the Athens 2004 Flame to the Olympic Stadium, along with the Games opening ceremony, will cause further tribulations to the capital’s motorists today. Traffic will be gradually banned from a series of streets in the city center and on the way to the stadium, in the northern suburb of Kalogreza, while long sections of two crucial thoroughfares, Vassilissis Sofias and Kifissias avenues, will be closed to all non-Games-related vehicles from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. tomorrow. The first torchbearer will carry the Olympic Flame down from the Acropolis at 8 a.m. The torch will then be borne through central Athens, along the following streets: Dionysiou Areopagitou, Dimitriou Aeginitou, Apostolou Pavlou, Adrianou, Taxiarchon, Epaminonda, Aeolou, Adrianou, Benizelou-Palaiologou, Evangelistrias, Ermou, Athinas, Patission, Alexandras, Fanarioton, Kassianis, Sarantapichou, Daskaloyianni, Melinas Mercouri, Souidias, Patriarchou Ioakeim, Kanari, Solonos, Academias, Omirou, Panepistimiou, Stadiou, Souri, Amalias, Vassilissis Sofias, Irodou Attikou, Vassileos Constantinou and Vassileos Alexandrou. It will proceed through the districts of Kaisariani, Zografou, Papagou, Holargos, Neo Psychico, Palaio Psychico, Galatsi, Nea Halkidona, Nea Philadelphia, Nea Ionia, Filothei, Halandri and Maroussi before reaching the stadium at 5.30 p.m. Meanwhile, from 3 p.m., Vassilissis Sofias Avenue will be closed to all traffic between the Hilton Hotel and Alexandras Avenue, as will Kifissias Avenue from Alexandras to the Attiki Odos. Sections of Kymis and Veikou avenues will also be closed.
