The contract for preliminary work on the first section of a new line on the Athens Metro was signed on Monday, paving the way for the commencement of construction.

Line 4 is expected to help ease traffic congestion across large sections of central Athens with new stations in several busy areas of the Greek capital such as Exarchia and Kolonaki squares and Akadimias Street. It will also connect several important institutions and services, including the main Athens court complex and several big hospitals and universities to the metro network.

It is expected that, when completed, the Athens Metro Line 4 will transport approximately 340,000 commuters a day and reduce the number of cars in the city center by around 53,000 a day.

This article was first published on ekathimerini.com