The Greek capital entombed its major rivers in concrete during its car-centred postwar development. Now the most storied of them, Ilisos, could be set free

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The catalyst for the river’s potential rebirth came about after a survey in October showed the parlous state of the walls that entomb the Ilisos under tram lines near the city’s central Syntagma square.

The tram lines have been “closed until further notice” and a report revealed that extensive maintenance – or even a complete and prohibitively costly replacement – would be required to make the tram safe again.

Tramlines running over the Ilisos have been closed because of the parlous state of the walls keeping the river contained

Instead, Anaplasis (“Regeneration”) has suggested that instead of wasting money on short-term solutions, the tram lines could be rerouted and the city get its river back.

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