Central Athens will be 'shut down' to accommodate the Acropolis Rally which will kick off tomorrow Thursday 9 September, according to Attica Traffic Police.
The area around the Acropolis and Syntagma Square will be closed to vehicle traffic from 11:00 on Thursday morning, while the centre can only be approached via the roads intersecting the main roadways.
There is also a plan with specific routes for pedestrians to reach Syntagma Square.
Special traffic measures have been in force since Tuesday on Amalias and Olgas Avenues to prepare the Special Route, and on Wednesday for the Farewell Ceremony for the late composer Mikis Theodorakis at the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral, along the length of Mitropoleos Street and the roads that cross it, up to the first intersection.
The rally is due to begin at 17:30 on Thursday at the Acropolis, from where the cars taking part will drive to the starting line on Amalias Avenue. The 1st Special Route (COSMOTE 5G Athens Stage) will begin at around 18:00 and end outside the King George hotel.
Dubbed the ‘Rally of Gods’, the Acropolis Rally's reputation was built around searing temperatures and rocky gravel speed tests whose names roll off the tongue of rally fans. The likes of Bauxites, Aghii Theodori, Elatia and Tarzan were feared challenges back in the 1970s – and they are all back on the itinerary this week fixture.
