Traffic Chaos Hits Major Athens Roads

The news in Greek

1. κυκλοφοριακός
   αυτός που σχετίζεται με την κυκλοφορία, την κίνηση των οχημάτων στους δρόμους ↩︎
2. συμφόρηση  (f.)
   η κατάσταση όπου υπάρχει υπερβολική συγκέντρωση οχημάτων σε έναν δρόμο ↩︎
3. λεωφόρος  (f.)
   φαρδής δρόμος με πολλές λωρίδες κυκλοφορίας, συνήθως στις πόλεις ↩︎
4. καθυστέρηση  (f.)
   χρονική καθυστέρηση σε σχέση με το προγραμματισμένο ↩︎
5. οφείλω
   όταν κάτι είναι υπεύθυνο για μια κατάσταση ή συνέπεια ↩︎
6. αύξηση  (f.)
   η διαδικασία κατά την οποία κάτι αυξάνεται σε μέγεθος, ποσότητα ή αριθμό ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Which roads in Athens experienced long delays?

Question 2: What caused the traffic congestion in Athens on Monday?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
κυκλοφοριακός	traffic
συμφόρηση  (f.)	congestion
λεωφόρος  (f.)	avenue
καθυστέρηση  (f.)	delays
οφείλω	to be due to
αύξηση  (f.)	increase

Read the full story

Commuters faced significant delays across major Athens roadways on Monday, with traffic congestion hitting an unprecedented level. The most affected areas include the Attiki Odos motorway, the Kifisos Avenue, and key routes through the city centre.

According to reports, drivers were advised to equip themselves with patience as the week began with intense congestion in the Greek capital. Both directions on the Attiki Odos, particularly near the Metamorfosi area, experienced severe slowdowns. Motorists heading towards Elefsina were delayed by 15 to 20 minutes near Lamia, and those traveling towards the Athens International Airport faced delays of up to 30 minutes from Fylis to Kifisias.

The Kifisos Avenue, which serves as a critical artery for north-to-south travel through Athens, was heavily congested both in the inbound and outbound lanes. Vehicles inched forward on the busy avenue, affecting both local and commuter traffic significantly.

Central Athens was not spared from the gridlock. Streets like Stadìou, Vasilissis Sofias, and Syngrou were overwhelmed with heavy traffic flows, reducing vehicle speeds to a crawl. The situation was mirrored on arterial roads such as Kifisias Avenue, stretching from Panormou to Nea Erythraia, and on Mesogeion Avenue from Katechaki to Agia Paraskevi.

Additionally, routes in the southern suburbs saw heavy delays. The Poseidonos Avenue and Vouliagmenis Avenue in the south noted significant congestion, compounding the traffic difficulties drivers faced across the city.

The surge in traffic has been attributed to the combination of increased post-pandemic urban commuting and ongoing construction projects that have limited transport options in some areas. Authorities have urged drivers to stay updated with real-time traffic information through social media and consider alternative routes when possible to mitigate the impact on journey times.

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