A directive was issued to the consortium executing the project for the restoration of the construction method of the Line 4 Metro tunnel as soon as it was realized that a 150-meter tunnel had been excavated outside the approved study, according to an update provided on Monday in Parliament by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Nikos Tachiaos.

The “safety issues in the construction of the Line 4 Metro tunnel” were the subject of a current affairs question posed by KKE MP Christos Katsotis, which was discussed in Parliament.

The MP stated that “for more than six months, and with the knowledge of ‘Elliniko Metro S.A.,’ the consortium AVAX-GHELO-ALSTOM proceeded with the excavation for 150 meters in violation of the study, while two shifts of workers descend into the tunnel daily, and within the excavation’s influence zone, there are road arteries, hospitals, and state infrastructures.”

Mr. Katsotis called on the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Nikos Tachiaos, to answer:

• What safety issues and specific risks arise from non-compliance with the implementation study for the health and safety of workers at the construction site of GNA (General Hospital of Athens), as well as for those using the roads, hospitals, and other buildings within the excavation’s influence zone? Have these risks been recorded by the competent state inspection services?
• What immediate actions will the government take to compel the contractor to undertake all necessary interventions, corrective actions, and works in the tunnel section where safety issues have been identified to eliminate any risk for the workers on Metro Line 4 and for those within the excavation’s influence zone, ensuring that work can continue safely without any harmful changes for the employees?

“Indeed, a semicircular tunnel was excavated for a length of 160 meters,” responded Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Tachiaos, adding: “When this came to the attention of the supervising authority, an order was immediately given to revert to the previous study that they had originally submitted. This was not only for the safety of the workers, which, in my opinion, would be excessive to believe there were such issues. It mainly concerns subsidence—small surface depressions that might occur on Katechaki Street since this tunnel runs underneath it. Thus, an order was issued for the restoration of the contractual construction method.”

“The consortium has already resumed work using the proper method and has submitted the revised study, which outlines how it will restore the affected 160-meter section. The supervising authority has obviously not accepted any excuses from the consortium. We consider this a misapplication of a study that they themselves had submitted,” added Mr. Tachiaos.

“You are not addressing possible safety issues that arise for the workers constructing the GNA tunnel, as well as for the infrastructures and buildings within the excavation’s influence zone,” commented Christos Katsotis. He questioned how it was possible for “Elliniko Metro S.A.,” which claims to oversee the ongoing work on a 24/7 basis, to fail to notice that the tunnel had been extended by 150 meters over six months of continuous excavation.

“What we are discussing is that indeed a project was carried out with a deviation from the approved study,” noted Mr. Tachiaos, adding: “Not that there is no kind of problem when the study is not followed. However, this does not mean that the tunnel will collapse or that significant subsidence will occur because such factors are measured daily. There are specific points constantly monitored to ensure no movement occurs, and any detected movement remains within acceptable limits,” said the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure. He further noted: “The company did not follow the methodology it proposed. ‘Elliniko Metro’ detected this. I have requested an investigation into why this was detected late. Clearly, it is not an error on the part of the administration. As soon as the administration became aware of the issue, it called on the company to revert to the study and restore the construction as it was originally intended.”

Infrastructure projects are not managed by the ministry, Mr. Tachiaos also noted; they are overseen by a supervised body. “Of course, there are consultants monitoring the project, contributing to its supervision. These consultants do not sign off on decisions; public servants do. But that is exactly how things work,” said the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, emphasizing that “safety issues are of the highest priority.”

He added that compliance with specifications by construction companies undertaking public projects is essential for the smooth execution of each contract, particularly when it concerns a highly significant project that affects both the reputation of the contract and the company itself. “I assure you that the consortiums, like the one you mentioned, have every reason to be absolutely compliant regarding safety matters, because otherwise, their profits—which the KKE refers to—would be at risk. The company’s own reputation shapes its value, which is recorded on the stock exchange,” Mr. Tachiaos concluded.