Metro extension to Piraeus opens, five years later than planned

Athens Metro Line 3 reached Piraeus Monday, finally connecting the busy port with the capital region’s airport, with no need for transfers, in less than an hour. On the minus side, the project was five years late, and the six-station extension, with three stations having opened in 2020, overshot its initial €343 million budget by about €80 million, including €30 million paid by the state to the contractors for delays. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who opened the final section Monday, preferred to focus on the positives, including an archaeological exhibition at the terminus station of Dimotiko Theatro (Municipal Theater).