Athens is preparing for the reopening of Vasilissis Olgas, a major thoroughfare in the city center, marking a significant step in urban redevelopment efforts. The project, described as a “light-traffic initiative”, aims to improve both vehicle flow and public transportation access.
In an interview with ERTnews, Deputy Mayor for Urban Regeneration and Resilience, Maro Evangelidou, highlighted that the road is set to reopen for private vehicles while trolleybus lanes will remain active. The temporary delays experienced during construction—around 10 minutes for commuters traveling from Pangrati to Syntagma Square—are expected to end once the project is completed.
The redevelopment, originally constructed by Anaplasi AE, includes removal of left-turn lanes, with new U-turn options designed to serve the Plaka neighborhood efficiently. According to Evangelidou, this change prevents drivers from having to detour all the way to Syntagma for certain turns.
The city’s traffic study also confirmed that a legal left turn will be maintained at the Vouliagmenis-Kallirois intersection, a busy junction where flow improvements are particularly needed.
Once reopened, the revamped Vasilissis Olgas is expected to enhance traffic circulation in central Athens.
