Hopeful plans for Thessaloniki
An ambitious plan that hinges on the completion of major public transportation projects in Thessaloniki was announced by Environment Minister Tina Birbili at a press conference yesterday. Speaking on the fringes of events organized for European Mobility Week, Birbili presented a program titled «Thessaloniki 2012,» featuring a series of initiatives aimed at upgrading the city and protecting the Seikh Sou Forest on the outskirts of the northern port city over the next two years. The minister warned, however, that plans may be thwarted by delays in the construction of a Thessaloniki metro system and an underwater tunnel linking the city center with the suburb of Kalamaria. The main interventions outlined in «Thessaloniki 2012» include the construction of a metropolitan park in the spot where the Thessaloniki International Fair currently takes place, a revamp of the coastal strip and traffic restrictions on Tsimiski Street, one of the busiest in the city’s commercial center.
