It was supposed to be a “lifeline” for Cyprus’ rural communities, a fast, modern highway linking Nicosia to Troodos. Instead, after more than 50 years, the long-promised road has become a running joke about government delays and shifting political timetables.
According to an article by Kathimerini's Thanasis Photiou, the Nicosia–Troodos highway, first planned in 1973 and halted by the Turkish invasion the following year, has been buried in bureaucracy ever since. Despite countless announcements and “restarts,” only half the project has been built. Out of its planned four phases, two are finished, one is crawling toward completion, and another is stuck in limbo.
If the current timeline holds, and that’s a big if, Nicosia may finally connect to the Solea region by the mid-2030s. That’s about 60 years after the original blueprints were drawn.
Back in the day, when 60% of Cypriots lived in rural areas, the project was considered essential. Now, that figure has dropped to just one-third, raising the question, who is the highway even for?
Since the 1970s, every government has made its own promise to “finally finish” the road. In 1999, then-Minister Averof Neofytou said it would be ready by 2004. In 2006, Haris Thrasou promised 2011. A few years later, new ministers pushed the timeline to 2014, then 2023, and now, if all goes well, maybe 2026.
The 45-kilometer project is divided into four stages. The first two, Nicosia to Kokkinotrimithia and Kokkinotrimithia to Denia, are done. The fourth, Astromeritis to Evrychou, is underway but delayed again, now expected in early 2026. The real headache is Phase C, an 18-kilometer stretch between Denia and Astromeritis.
That section, costing more than €100 million, hasn’t even gone out to tender yet. Plans for the route keep changing; originally, it was supposed to pass north of the villages through the buffer zone, but the UN blocked access for safety reasons. The rerouted version goes south, but local communities say it will isolate them and damage farmland and businesses.
Officials warn that another redesign could push the project back by a decade and cost millions more. Meanwhile, residents accuse the government of neglecting rural areas while boasting about “progress” that exists mostly on paper.
If the current timeline holds, and that’s a big if, Nicosia may finally connect to the Solea region by the mid-2030s. That’s about 60 years after the original blueprints were drawn.
Until then, the Nicosia–Troodos highway remains a monument to Cyprus’ slow-motion infrastructure planning, proof that sometimes, even a short road can take the longest journey.
