Locals at ‘boiling point’ over Paphos-Polis road delays

There is intense concern over ongoing unacceptable hold ups with the mooted Paphos to Polis Chrysochous road, Mayor Yiotis Papachristofis said on Wednesday.

Papachristofi requested an urgent meeting with Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades for information and updates on any developments with the first phase of the highway, he said.

Papachristofis had earlier told the Cyprus Mail that the first phase of construction was 30 per cent complete, despite problems with unsuitable materials and depots that had hounded the project.

The mayor said at the time he believed construction would continue, most likely with the same contractor, and that the latter’s demands for a contract extension would be met. If not, a new contractor would need to be found, he said.

In his latest statements, Papachristofis told media he had requested an update also on the timeframes for the second phase of the project, as well as the road segment connecting to Mesogi.

“The region’s inhabitants are at boiling point over the delays,” in the progress of this crucially important infrastructure the mayor told the CyBC.

If immediate solutions are not found, protest actions are sure to occur, he added.

The project, which had been floated as an idea for over twenty years, began in earnest in July 2022, under then transport minister Yiannis Karousos, who called it a “historic day for Paphos and all of Cyprus.”

In April this year reports emerged that the project was mired in delays due to lack of available materials such as gravel and sand, difficulties with storage depots which were reportedly being secured through ad hoc agreements with local landowners, and unsuitable materials set aside for embankment construction.

The highway had been planned to be 31km long and be completed in two phases. The route starts from Ayia Marinouda and ends at Stroumbi and was to involve the initial construction of a 15.5km two-lane highway costing €86,845,010, to be followed by its upgrade to a four-lane highway.

The first phase was to includes the construction of a node connecting to the Limassol – Paphos highway, and a roundabout in Tsada, as well as one at the termination point after Stroumbi.

The construction was to also include two 720m long tunnels and five 290m bridges, two overpasses and nine underpasses. Finally, because of elevation of the road, additional traffic lanes for a length of about 12km were to be constructed.

For the second phase reaching Polis, a preliminary study had been prepared and authorities were said to be moving on with the process.

Meanwhile, progress has been made on another challenging road project—that of the Petra tou Romiou road.

The iconic route via the old Limassol to Paphos road had previously been closed for two years starting in 2020 after the serious collapse of an embankment along a road segment.

Extensive repair works were undertaken to stabilise the embankment and safeguard against erosion though two sets of retaining walls and by other means, such as rainwater management and subsoil remediation, and the road reopened last year.

The cost of the project had initially been estimated at €800,000 but finally ballooned to €1.4 million by the time the road reopened in January.

The second phase of these works were undertaken recently starting in July this year, with an expected completion date of May 2025.

Once this phase is also completed access to the entire road would be fully restored, Paphos MP Chrysanthos Savvides, who visited the work site on Wednesday, said.

“The specific project concerns a distance of 350 meters, costing €3million,” the MP said.

“I am pleased to report that work is progressing apace, [and] I would like to publicly thank the public works department and the construction company for the rapid progress they are making,” he added.