The first extension in the Athens tram, was duly finished and commissioned for circulation, in the mid of October। The extension measuring 670 meters comes as a trial for new technologies rather than a substantial addition to the already operating 22 km network। One of them and surely the most important is the introduction of prefabricated segments for the substructure। The segments were used in the crossing of Poseidonos avenue, a high velocity motorway in the south of Athens and gateway to the seaside tourist and nightlife areas। In order to facilitate the construction of the crossing and the sequential congestion of traffic, given a conventional construction, prefabricated segments came as a natural choice. The segments were constructed in a prefab plant in the outskirts of Athens, using Belgian know-how adapted in the local conditions. The segments incorporating the rails and all major network duct ways were laid in less than ten days, including the soil and substructure preparation, a major advance to the other ways monthly time span. Behavior up to now in the heavy traffic is said to be very smooth, and it is almost certain that prefab segments are to be used in the next extension to Peraeus.
