The Attica Region is taking two significant steps in the southern suburbs: the first is a new road project linking Vari and Sounio, and the second is the upgrade of the indoor arena in Palaio Faliro (Taekwondo), which is intended to be converted into a conference centre.
The total budget for the two projects amounts to €180m.
On the coastal road, the Region’s new project is worth €30m. It is a road-safety project covering 18.6 kilometres of the overall route and includes, among other things, ten roundabouts, a central reservation, pavements, underpasses and safety barriers. It covers the stretch from Lake Vouliagmeni to Thymari.
“This is the largest road-safety project to be carried out in Attica in decades. It involves ten junctions from Vari to Sounio, in an area where 10% of all road-traffic deaths across the entire Athens basin are recorded each year,” Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias told the Regional Council a few days ago.
According to the schedule, project development and permitting procedures are expected to be completed in March 2027, while the contract is due to be signed in December of the same year. Construction will take 30 months, with the project due to be completed in 2030.
The project will be funded through the Region’s Public Investment Programme.
Major projects
The Region has included the road project among its major projects, along with the conversion of the Palaio Faliro Olympic venue (Taekwondo) into an international-standard conference and exhibition centre.
The projects also include the comprehensive redevelopment of Zone III of Faliro Bay, with a budget of €150m, aimed at connecting it to the neighbouring AENAON park.
The existing Taekwondo indoor arena will be upgraded, with a central amphitheatre-style conference space for 2,700–3,000 delegates and 4,000 sq m of exhibition space.
It will have multipurpose rooms for conferences, meetings and events with a total capacity of more than 3,000 people, as well as dining facilities, a banquet hall, a restaurant with panoramic views and support facilities.
The facilities will also be upgraded for energy efficiency, with the aim of achieving an A+ energy rating, applying bioclimatic principles and using renewable energy sources.