ATHENS, July 19 (AFP) - Greece's biggest port will briefly shut down for passenger traffic Tuesday for the installation of security equipment for the Athens Olympics, the Merchant Marine Ministry said.
The Athens port of Piraeus, one of the world's largest ports for passenger ships, will shut its gates to ferries and cruisers for two-and-a-half hours from 08H30 GMT. Divers will use the break to lay underwater optic fibre cables around the harbour.
Piraeus will host eight large luxury liners serving as floating hotels during the August 13-29 Olympics. Among the cruisers will be the world's largest luxury liner Queen Mary 2. Many officials from France and the United States will be on them.
Piraeus is the country's biggest hub for traffic to Greece's hundreds of islands, visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each summer. From August 2, access to the port will be restricted to bearers of travel tickets.
Around 4,000 coastguards are to guard the port around the clock.