The Minister of PEHODE Mr. George Souflias paid a visit to the worksite of the Thessaloniki Metro and made the following statements:
“This is an important day for the project related to the construction of the Thessaloniki Metro.
We welcome the first of the two TBM to be used within the framework of the tunnel boring for the Thessaloniki Metro project.
The TBM- called Tunnel Boring Machine- is a state-of-the-art machine made in Germany- currently the best in Greece- that will be used for the construction of single track tunnel sections between NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS and NEA ELVETIA Stations, 7.7 km total long.
It is pointed out that this TBM, which will be 90m. long, is equipped with an Earth Pressure Balance Shield which minimizes surface settlements through the monitoring of natural earth pressure at the tunnel front.
Moreover, 10 meters of Metro tunnel will be constructed by the said machine on a daily basis at a depth varying from 16 to 31 meters.
The second TBM is scheduled to be delivered early next year. Both TBM will set off on their underground trip next spring.
I also wish to emphasize on the progress that has been made in the whole project and I am particularly happy about this. Throughout the last year, a lot of work has been done, and, although the public cannot easily perceive it, this work is particularly important for the implementation of the Thessaloniki Metro project.
At first, a General Final Design of the Metro was prepared and approved, 350 boreholes were drilled for the completion of the program related to geotechnical investigations, while an inventory of all the buildings situated along the alignment of the Metro was drawn up and their geological-structural monitoring is currently in progress.
Moreover, complicated issues such as the issue of securing areas for the Metro worksites and the design and the implementation of the best possible traffic arrangements were finally solved.
Works related to the construction of the Metro progress systematically and at an intensive pace at eight worksites and three stations are under construction: NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS, VENIZELOU and SINTRIVANI.
Such a major project unavoidably creates a temporary disturbance. I would like to assure all the citizens of Thessaloniki that all the necessary measures have been taken to keep the possible disturbances within the minimal limits. In any case, we kindly request your patience and understanding.
However, I wish to refer to another parameter of this major project. An extended archaeological excavation is currently in progress covering a surface of 6,000 square meters and significant finds for the history of the city of Thessaloniki have already come to light.
Today, I issued an order instructing ATTIKO METRO S.A. to proceed with all necessary works related to the restoration of Hamza Bey (Alkazar) mosque; upon completion of the Metro works, this mosque will be the central Museum where the most important finds from the excavation works will be displayed.
The Thessaloniki Metro project does not stop here. Based on reliable scheduling and systematic work we carry out designs of the first extensions of the metro network to Kalamaria & Stavroupoli, while future extensions to the Airport and Kordelio are also under consideration. The Ministry of PEHODE aims at implementing the extension to Kalamaria concurrently with the construction of the Base Project of the Thessaloniki Metro; YPEHODE also aims at having the said extension commissioned shortly afterwards the commissioning of the most important means of transport in the city.
The Thessaloniki Metro is a major project. The most important public work currently constructed in our country budgeted at 1.1 billion euros. Therefore, it is evident that there would be some problems at the first stages of such a major project. All these problems have already been solved and ever since the procedures related to its construction are expedited and by the end of 2012 Thessaloniki will have the most state-of-the-art Metro system in Europe, which will be extended at a length of 9.6 km with 13 stations.
The dream of the citizens of Thessaloniki will finally become a reality. The Metro system along with the construction of the underwater road artery will transform the city and will change radically the every day life of the citizens.
For this reason, I wish to congratulate all the employees of ATTIKO METRO S.A. and the 600 employees of the Contracting Consortium who work hard on a daily basis for the construction of a Metro system based on state-of-the-art technology and adhering to the most demanding specifications of quality, safety and operation.
Please allow me also to extend my warmest thanks to the Prefecture, the Municipality and all the agencies of the city involved, as well as all the citizens for their co-operation and their understanding with regard to the implementation of this major project”.
The Thessaloniki Metro, 9.6 km long, with 13 modern Stations is the most extended public work currently under construction in Greece. Eighteen months have elapsed since the conclusion of the agreement for this complicated project and throughout the said time period works for the Metro construction have advanced at all the fronts of the project and it will be one of the best Metro systems in Europe! In particular:
Preparatory Works
- The first stage of the General Final Design and the designs related to the required traffic arrangements and PUO network diversions were completed, while the approvals for the second stage and the implementation designs (third and final stage) are in progress.
- The first eight worksite occupations were executed.
- The program related to the geological and geotechnical surveys along the alignment of the Metro (350 drillings as a total).
- The necessary inventory and monitoring of the buildings located along the alignment of the two independent (single track) Metro tunnels was completed.
- PUO network diversions at six worksite areas were completed, while DIMOKRATIAS and AGIAS SOFIAS Stations are at an advanced stage. It is pointed out that for the Metro needs an extensive program of eight different PUO network diversions is under way.
- The archaeological excavation covering a total surface of 6,000 square meters at six worksite areas is at an advanced stage.
Construction of the Project
- The construction of NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS, VENIZELOS and SINTRIVANI Stations commenced. In particular: at the first two Stations the construction of diaphragm walls by state-of -the-art machines is in progress, while at SINTRIVANI Station the installation of temporary retaining piles at the northern side of the stations was completed and recently the construction of diaphragm walls commenced.
- The construction of the start-up shaft of the two Tunnel boring Machines at NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS Station is at an advanced stage; from this Station the TBMs will commence the construction of two independent tunnels of the Metro Line.
- Moreover, the main constructions of NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS Station forestation, as well as of the tunnel
crossover. - At present, for the cosntruction of the Thessaloniki Metro more than 600 employees of various specialties works on a daily basis, while the contracting consortium has developed the first eight worksite areas in the city and it gradually continues, following the necessary approvals by all the agencies involved, the instalaltion of its worksites along the length of the tunnel.
The construction of the Thessaloniki Metro will be based on state-of-the-art technology data and will adhere to the most demanding specifications of quality, safety and functionality.
A’ Phase of Construction of the network
ATTIKO METRO S.A. has included at the base project of the Thessaloniki Metro the infrastructure required to enable the further extension of the network with no interruption to the operation of the system. At the A’ phase of the Thessaloniki Metro extensions, two extensions are provided for to be cosntructed:
THESSALONIKI METRO – Statements made by the Minister of PEHODE Mr. George Souflias with regard to the Thessaloniki Metro project
(30/11/2007)
The Minister of PEHODE Mr. George Souflias paid a visit to the worksite of the Thessaloniki Metro and made the following statements:
“This is an important day for the project related to the construction of the Thessaloniki Metro.
We welcome the first of the two TBM to be used within the framework of the tunnel boring for the Thessaloniki Metro project.
The TBM- called Tunnel Boring Machine- is a state-of-the-art machine made in Germany- currently the best in Greece- that will be used for the construction of single track tunnel sections between NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS and NEA ELVETIA Stations, 7.7 km total long.
It is pointed out that this TBM, which will be 90m. long, is equipped with an Earth Pressure Balance Shield which minimizes surface settlements through the monitoring of natural earth pressure at the tunnel front.
Moreover, 10 meters of Metro tunnel will be constructed by the said machine on a daily basis at a depth varying from 16 to 31 meters.
The second TBM is scheduled to be delivered early next year. Both TBM will set off on their underground trip next spring.
I also wish to emphasize on the progress that has been made in the whole project and I am particularly happy about this. Throughout the last year, a lot of work has been done, and, although the public cannot easily perceive it, this work is particularly important for the implementation of the Thessaloniki Metro project.
At first, a General Final Design of the Metro was prepared and approved, 350 boreholes were drilled for the completion of the program related to geotechnical investigations, while an inventory of all the buildings situated along the alignment of the Metro was drawn up and their geological-structural monitoring is currently in progress.
Moreover, complicated issues such as the issue of securing areas for the Metro worksites and the design and the implementation of the best possible traffic arrangements were finally solved.
Works related to the construction of the Metro progress systematically and at an intensive pace at eight worksites and three stations are under construction: NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS, VENIZELOU and SINTRIVANI.
Such a major project unavoidably creates a temporary disturbance. I would like to assure all the citizens of Thessaloniki that all the necessary measures have been taken to keep the possible disturbances within the minimal limits. In any case, we kindly request your patience and understanding.
However, I wish to refer to another parameter of this major project. An extended archaeological excavation is currently in progress covering a surface of 6,000 square meters and significant finds for the history of the city of Thessaloniki have already come to light.
Today, I issued an order instructing ATTIKO METRO S.A. to proceed with all necessary works related to the restoration of Hamza Bey (Alkazar) mosque; upon completion of the Metro works, this mosque will be the central Museum where the most important finds from the excavation works will be displayed.
The Thessaloniki Metro project does not stop here. Based on reliable scheduling and systematic work we carry out designs of the first extensions of the metro network to Kalamaria & Stavroupoli, while future extensions to the Airport and Kordelio are also under consideration. The Ministry of PEHODE aims at implementing the extension to Kalamaria concurrently with the construction of the Base Project of the Thessaloniki Metro; YPEHODE also aims at having the said extension commissioned shortly afterwards the commissioning of the most important means of transport in the city.
The Thessaloniki Metro is a major project. The most important public work currently constructed in our country budgeted at 1.1 billion euros. Therefore, it is evident that there would be some problems at the first stages of such a major project. All these problems have already been solved and ever since the procedures related to its construction are expedited and by the end of 2012 Thessaloniki will have the most state-of-the-art Metro system in Europe, which will be extended at a length of 9.6 km with 13 stations.
The dream of the citizens of Thessaloniki will finally become a reality. The Metro system along with the construction of the underwater road artery will transform the city and will change radically the every day life of the citizens.
For this reason, I wish to congratulate all the employees of ATTIKO METRO S.A. and the 600 employees of the Contracting Consortium who work hard on a daily basis for the construction of a Metro system based on state-of-the-art technology and adhering to the most demanding specifications of quality, safety and operation.
Please allow me also to extend my warmest thanks to the Prefecture, the Municipality and all the agencies of the city involved, as well as all the citizens for their co-operation and their understanding with regard to the implementation of this major project”.
The Thessaloniki Metro, 9.6 km long, with 13 modern Stations is the most extended public work currently under construction in Greece. Eighteen months have elapsed since the conclusion of the agreement for this complicated project and throughout the said time period works for the Metro construction have advanced at all the fronts of the project and it will be one of the best Metro systems in Europe! In particular:
Preparatory Works
- The first stage of the General Final Design and the designs related to the required traffic arrangements and PUO network diversions were completed, while the approvals for the second stage and the implementation designs (third and final stage) are in progress.
- The first eight worksite occupations were executed.
- The program related to the geological and geotechnical surveys along the alignment of the Metro (350 drillings as a total).
- The necessary inventory and monitoring of the buildings located along the alignment of the two independent (single track) Metro tunnels was completed.
- PUO network diversions at six worksite areas were completed, while DIMOKRATIAS and AGIAS SOFIAS Stations are at an advanced stage. It is pointed out that for the Metro needs an extensive program of eight different PUO network diversions is under way.
- The archaeological excavation covering a total surface of 6,000 square meters at six worksite areas is at an advanced stage.
Construction of the Project
- The construction of NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS, VENIZELOS and SINTRIVANI Stations commenced. In particular: at the first two Stations the construction of diaphragm walls by state-of -the-art machines is in progress, while at SINTRIVANI Station the installation of temporary retaining piles at the northern side of the stations was completed and recently the construction of diaphragm walls commenced.
- The construction of the start-up shaft of the two Tunnel boring Machines at NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS Station is at an advanced stage; from this Station the TBMs will commence the construction of two independent tunnels of the Metro Line.
- Moreover, the main constructions of NEOS SIDIRODROMIKOS STATHMOS Station forestation, as well as of the tunnel crossover.
- At present, for the cosntruction of the Thessaloniki Metro more than 600 employees of various specialties works on a daily basis, while the contracting consortium has developed the first eight worksite areas in the city and it gradually continues, following the necessary approvals by all the agencies involved, the instalaltion of its worksites along the length of the tunnel.
The construction of the Thessaloniki Metro will be based on state-of-the-art technology data and will adhere to the most demanding specifications of quality, safety and functionality.
A’ Phase of Construction of the network
ATTIKO METRO S.A. has included at the base project of the Thessaloniki Metro the infrastructure required to enable the further extension of the network with no interruption to the operation of the system. At the A’ phase of the Thessaloniki Metro extensions, two extensions are provided for to be cosntructed:
- Extension to Stavroupoli: 5 km with 5 new Stations
- Extension to Kalamaria: 5 km with 5 modern Stations
With regard to the two aforementioned extensions the following has been taken into consideration:
- Civil Works, E/M and Railway Systems of the Base Project provisions
- Train operation with double headway
- Moreover, the need to construct an additional depot is under consideration.
For the extension of the Line to Kalamaria, the amount of 400,000,000 euros has been secured by the 4th CSF.
Topographical, geological and geotechnical surveys, as well as designs for the two aforementioned Metro extensions are already in progress.
The Minsitry of PEHODE and ATTIKO METRO S.A. aims at putting to tender and constructing the extensions concurrently with the construction of the Base Project of the Thessaloniki Metro, as well as at completing the first extensions of the networkshortly afterwwrds the operation of the Metro Base Line.
At the secong phase of the Thessaloniki Metro extensions, following relevant surveys carried out by ATTIKO METRO S.A. other areas of the city will be added (e.g. to the Airport and Kordelio) in order to gradually create a comprehensive Metro network in Thessaloniki which will serve more and more residents.
