Deadline Looms for Athens

Renovations on the main Olympic stadium and completion of its new roof will be finished by July 20, a construction chief promised Wednesday.

The goal of having the stadium ready less than a month before the Games begin means important pre-Olympic test events and rehearsals for the opening ceremony will take place with work crews still on the site.

The tight schedule also leaves no room for major adjustments if needed.

“There is no alternative solution. This is the solution and it will happen,” said Dimitris Kalitsantzis, managing director for the construction firm supervising the project.

The stadium -- the centerpiece of the Aug. 13-29 event -- is the most glaring example of the widespread delays to build or upgrade venues.

“We are moving right at the edge,” Deputy Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia said after inspecting the site. Her ministry coordinates Olympic preparations.

Palli-Petralia also was upset that no one was working at the site of the nearby aquatic center, which is missing a roof. That roof is needed to shelter athletes from Athens’ blazing August sun and to improve the quality of television coverage.

The previous contractor was unable to finish the job because of technical problems, and a new one will be hired to build a plastic roof for the pool.

The International Olympic Committee has given organizers until the end of the month to make critical decisions about whether to scale back or cancel some behind-schedule works, including widening the classic marathon route and adding a glass-and-steel roof to the main stadium.

Transport Minister Michalis Liapis said fears the tram line would not be ready for the games were justified, and ordered around-the-clock work.

“At today’s pace, there may not have been enough time to finish the project for the Olympics. I made it clear to all involved that we will not allow any more delays,” Liapis said after an inspection visit.