Locals seek to prevent Attiki Odos extension
Residents of eastern Athens suburbs joined forces with environmental organizations to submit an appeal yesterday to the Council of State in a bid to prevent plans to extend the Attiki Odos highway through Mount Hymettus because of fears about the environmental impact it will have. A few weeks before New Democracy was voted out of office earlier this year it announced plans to extend Attiki Odos, the highway which links various parts of Athens with the city’s airport and Elefsina, by 71.6 kilometers. This would include the construction of a 4-kilometer tunnel through Mount Hymettus in eastern Athens. In their appeal, the residents and environmentalists claim that the project is unconstitutional, as Hymettus is a protected zone, and breaks the European Union’s regulations. Sources said that it is likely the PASOK government will scrap the project by the end of this month.
