Aegean Motorways Tunnels
Client:
AEGEAN MOTORWAYS / Vinci Hellas JC / Olympia
Solution:
Audiovisual
Industry:
Government & Public Sector
Country:
Greece
Project Summary
The Aegean Motorways project involved the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of a state-of-the-art Public Address (PA) System for three major tunnels (T1, T2, T3) along the Maliakos–Kleidi motorway in Central Greece. The system was implemented to enhance tunnel safety by providing clear, reliable vocal instructions and emergency messaging to motorists, supporting both routine operations and critical evacuation procedures. The project covered approximately 11 km of tunnels, including the longest road tunnel in the Balkans, and integrated with the motorway’s management and SCADA systems for seamless operation and compliance with international safety standards.
3
Tunnels
Overview
Aegean Motorways is a large-scale infrastructure project extending over 230 km, including the construction and modernization of motorway sections, bridges, interchanges, and service stations. The tunnels, especially T2 at 6 km, required advanced communication systems to ensure user safety and operational efficiency. The PA system was designed to deliver both pre-recorded and live instructions throughout the tunnels, cross passages, and portals, interfacing with the motorway’s central management for coordinated emergency response.
The Challenge
The project addressed the need for a robust, flexible, and compliant PA system capable of:
Providing clear, intelligible instructions in long, acoustically challenging tunnel environments.
Supporting both automated (pre-recorded) and operator-driven (live) emergency messaging.
Integrating with existing IP networks, SCADA, and motorway management systems.
Meeting strict international safety standards (EN54-16, EN-60849).
Key challenges included:
Ensuring no single point of failure with a distributed, networked system architecture.
Achieving rapid design, installation, and commissioning within tight project deadlines.
Covering extensive tunnel lengths with reliable audio distribution and monitoring.
Facilitating future scalability and remote control capabilities.
The Solution
A distributed, networked PA system was implemented, featuring:
Central PA system based on Biamp Vocia Network Oriented System
operating over existing IP infrastructure.
Speakers
Approximately 500 specialized tunnel speakers and 150 cross passage/portal speakers.
Speaker Cabling
Around 80 km of speaker cabling for comprehensive coverage.
Monitoring Software
Custom monitoring software with interfaces to other motorway systems.
Paging Platform
Digital paging platform with distributed audio, signal processing, and control.
Compliance with technologies
Compliance with EN54-16 and EN-60849 standards, utilizing CobraNet® and VoIP technologies.
Tailored Services
Acoustic measurements and system design for optimal intelligibility.
Software programming for easy expansion and remote management.
Integration with SCADA and motorway management systems.
Rapid deployment to meet contractual deadlines.
Ongoing maintenance and support for long-term reliability.
