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Nicosia is aiming for a major transformation, with over €100 million in urban and traffic upgrades on the table as the capital struggles with decades-old road designs, mounting traffic, and growing frustration among residents, according to an article by Kathimerini's Dorita Yiannakou.
The Municipality of Nicosia has submitted a list of priority projects to President Nikos Christodoulides in hopes they’ll be greenlit as part of the government’s soon-to-be-unveiled strategy for the capital. The projects, according to city officials, would reshape how people move around the capital, making it safer, more sustainable, and easier to navigate.
It’s also reviving a long-debated proposal to bring a tram system to Nicosia. Previous studies showed it could work, despite the hefty €300 million price tag.
Old roads, new problems
Much of the problem lies in west Nicosia, where key roads like Iroon, Lefkotheou and Grigoris Afxentiou were built in the 1980s and never updated. They remain narrow two-lane roads without pavements, bike paths, or flood protection, despite now serving traffic from growing suburbs like Kokkinotrimithia and Akaki.
Similarly, key routes into the city center, including Archbishop Makarios Avenue, Strovolou Street, and Limassol Avenue, lack the infrastructure for modern transport. With no proper junctions, bike lanes, or bus routes, alternative transport remains largely impractical.
Even Larnaca Avenue, one of the capital’s busiest and most dangerous stretches for pedestrians, is in disrepair. Plans for its reconstruction were scrapped, according to Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos, after financial interests lobbied against it during the recent election campaign.
Choked by traffic
Mayor Prountzos didn’t mince words: “Nicosia is having a heart attack,” he said, pointing to years of political inaction that left the city choking in traffic. The result, he warned, is more than just stress and lost hours, poor air quality is now one of Cyprus’ leading public health threats.
A large chunk of the problem is the city’s outdated layout. Roads funnel traffic toward the center without enough ways to bypass it. Projects like the Council of Europe, Stavrou, and Digeni Akrita roads are seen as essential to easing the pressure, but many remain stuck on paper.
Pushing public transport, trams back on the table
Of the dozens of bus lanes proposed under the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), only three exist today. While the city is calling for more, officials say public pushback, especially over bike and bus lanes, remains a major hurdle.
Still, the municipality isn’t backing down. It’s also reviving a long-debated proposal to bring a tram system to Nicosia. Previous studies showed it could work, despite the hefty €300 million price tag. Officials believe it’s time to stop hesitating and start building, even if it means taking political heat.
Looking east and west
Several large-scale projects are already mapped out. The revamp of Ammochostou Avenue is seen as a key step in connecting east Nicosia, improving traffic flow and flood protection. Meanwhile, the redevelopment of the SOPAZ industrial area offers opportunities for opening up traffic links between Kaimakli, Pallouriotissa, Aglantzia, and the highway.
The long-discussed Western Perimeter Road, which could one day be extended eastward, is also high on the agenda.
A new vision for the capital
In all, the municipality’s plan is ambitious but, they say, essential. Officials hope that with presidential backing, these projects will finally move beyond paper and break the decades-long cycle of traffic chaos, poor planning, and public health concerns.
The government is expected to present its official strategy for Nicosia on Monday.
