Athens Olympic tram line rerouted, increasing costs

A tram line being built in Athens for the 2004 Olympics will be rerouted amid fears it could damage antiquities. The construction company working on the tram line, Tram AE, said rerouting the line will increase the project's cost by $2.1 million to pay for additional track. The original plan was to have the line pass by the nearly 2,000-year-old Arch of Hadrian, located in front of the Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus. The 16-mile tram route will connect central Athens to southern locales where many Olympic events are planned. Completion of the $339 million project is expected in early 2004.