Hole, Cracks Halt Tunneling In Athens

Just days after a large hole swallowed a kiosk on one of Athen’s main avenues, a judge ordered a stop Tuesday to all tunneling work for the city’s new subway.

The temporary halt in tunneling came after 12 store owners filed a complaint demanding proof that the buildings lining Panepistimiou Avenue were safe from the construction.

The store owners are worried because a multistory building on the avenue developed cracks as a tunnel boring machine began approaching it at a depth of about 50 feet.