Newsroom
After 26 years of waiting, planning, and, in true Cyprus fashion, a few delays along the way, drivers can finally use the upgraded Larnaca-Dhekelia road.
The third phase of the long-awaited project has opened to traffic, giving one of Larnaca's busiest and most important coastal areas a very different look.
The €14.8 million upgrade is about more than getting cars from one end to the other. It brings wider roads, proper pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, pavements and bus stops to an area that has grown considerably over the years and is home to hotels, restaurants, businesses and residential developments.
The main road stretches for about 3.25 kilometers and now has four lanes, two in each direction, separated by a central island.
Four roundabouts have been added, along with roadside parking, landscaped areas, modern pavements, and dedicated cycle lanes.
Pedestrians have also been given considerably more attention. A total of 22 pelican crossings, controlled by traffic lights, have been installed along the road to make crossings safer.
There is also a secondary network of service roads extending for roughly 4.5 kilometers, with pavements, parking areas, and zebra crossings.
Not everything is finished just yet.
Service roads included later through a change to the original contract are expected to be completed by the end of October, while landscaping and beautification work is also due to get underway around that time.
A long road to completion
The project cost €14.838 million plus VAT, and construction began on Sept. 30, 2022.
It was originally supposed to be completed by March 17, 2025, but the deadline was eventually extended, with work completed on July 16, 2026.
Larnaca Public Works District Engineer and project engineer Lazaros Lazarou said the entire 3.3-kilometre main route, ending at the roundabout leading toward Pyla, had been handed over by July 24.
He acknowledged the delays but said they were justified and that there were no contractual disputes with the contractor.
For Larnaca residents and businesses, the opening closes a chapter on a project the city had been asking for for more than two decades.
Lazarou said the revamped road should make the area safer while also encouraging further development.
The cycle lanes are another important addition, particularly as Larnaca attempts to make cycling a more realistic way of getting around rather than an activity that requires nerves of steel on busy roads.
Boost for Larnaca’s tourist strip
The road is particularly important because of where it leads.
The Larnaca-Dhekelia strip is one of the district's main tourism areas, lined with hotels, restaurants and leisure businesses and serving both residents and thousands of visitors during the summer months.
Larnaca Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Nakis Antoniou welcomed the opening, saying the city had finally seen the road handed over for public use after many years of waiting.
He stressed, however, that the job is not completely done, pointing to the remaining service roads.
Larnaca Tourism Development and Promotion Company President Dinos Lefkaritis also welcomed the development while expressing hope that the remaining beautification work would be finished quickly.
He said the improved road should strengthen Larnaca's tourism area at a time when the city continues to attract increasing numbers of visitors despite wider international challenges.
For residents who have watched the project being discussed for 26 years and construction taking place for almost four, the biggest change for now is rather more straightforward.
The road is finally open.
