- guardian.co.uk, Sunday December 22 2002 23.30 GMT
Their labours - in a week when Athenians were told that they must take action to rid their streets of stray dogs and cats, prepare for the opening of part of the new road that leads to their new airport, and accept more loans for other vital infrastructure projects - highlight the Greeks' mad dash to cross the finishing line in time for the 2004 Olympics.
Politicians are determined that the Olympics should act as a catalyst for change; even Athens's staunchest critics concede the blighted city of the gods is transforming - for the better - before their eyes.
Night and day, the diggers are at it; gnawing away at the earth to extend roads, build bridges, erect venues. In short, to change the face of a capital notorious for being one of the most chaotic, congested, polluted and non-eco-friendly in Europe.
'It's been the most amazing visit,' London's Lord Mayor, Gavyn Arthur, enthused after viewing the former olive groves where the Olympic village - future home of 16,000 athletes and officials - is under construction. 'I am most impressed by the work that has been done and I think it's quite extraordinary so much has been done in such a short time.'
History may be on its side - the Olympics were first held in Athens in 776BC and revived in modern form in its marble stadium 106 years ago - but Greece's coffers are almost empty.
Last week the government was forced to borrow a further £930 million from the European Investment Bank, adding to the £2.7 billion it has already spent on laying the ground for the event.
'The games may be a financial strain,' the Greek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, admitted, 'but they will bring both tangible and non-tangible benefits. In the end we will see that they gave Greece heightened international prestige and new financial opportunities.'
For once, few Hellenes beg to differ. Nationwide, preparations for the games are seen as the hallmark of the 'new' Greece. 'We all know that if Athens hadn't won the bid none of these infrastructure projects would ever have occurred,' said Giorgos Someritis, a truck driver. 'For years we've had nothing but trouble with all these roadworks, but who cares when it's all for the greater good?'
Since 2000 Athenians have been treated to a new underground system that is now among the cleanest and most efficient in Europe, a state-of-the art airport, highways and ring-road. The new metro lines have contributed to the decline in the city's smog.
Twenty-four Olympic projects are under way. Most are sports venues deliberately built in areas badly in need of urban regeneration. The Olympic weightlifting hall, for instance, is being constructed in Nikaia, the shabby suburb behind the port of Piraeus. By 2004, some 210km of new and upgraded roads will have been built, with bus lanes and coastal tram lines that will open up the Athens seafront for the first time since the Fifties.
'What is important for Athens are not just the 16 days of the games themselves but the benefits they leave behind,' said the Greek Culture Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, who is overseeing preparations. 'Perhaps the most important thing that will remain as a heritage after 2004 is the change in mentality, the implementation of new working efforts and new ways of behaviour.'
For a long time everybody - including the Greeks - thought Athens would never make the deadline. Since the capital won the bid in 1997, infrastructure works have been mired in delays, with the inevitable discovery of archaeological treasures.
The lack of progress was such that last year the International Olympic Committee (IOC) spoke darkly of having to 'relocate' the games.
Although Athens is spending a record £375m on security, the issue continues to cause concern.
This month Athens's mayor-elect, Dora Bakoyianni, narrowly escaped assassination when an apparently deranged gunman shot at her car.
But Denis Oswald, the IOC's demanding chief inspector, says he believes the Greek capital is finally taking 'Olympic shape': 'Evidence shows that the people of Athens will inherit a new dynamic city as a result of the games.'
