Maria Eracleous
The risk of halting construction on the Pafos-Polis Chrysochous motorway has been temporarily averted. In recent days, the construction company formally submitted a series of requests in a letter to the Department of Public Works and the Ministry of Transport, addressing specific contractual terms. The company had previously issued a warning about contract termination if the issues were not resolved.
Transport Minister Alexis Vafeadi stated that following the letter, a meeting between the construction company and relevant officials from the Public Works Department took place in a positive atmosphere. The meeting discussed the company's demands, focusing on project completion time extensions and additional costs due to delays caused by geopolitical events and the pandemic.
According to Mr. Vafeadis, in the initial stage, the contractor committed to not terminating the contract. The company's demands will be further examined by the Central Claims Change Committee in January. Subsequent meetings between the Public Works Department and the contractor are anticipated.
As of now, construction on the road is progressing. The contract for the project, signed in May 2021 with a budget of 86.8 million euros, involves the Design&Build of a two-lane road from St. Mary's to Struby, spanning 15.5 km. The preliminary design includes future plans for upgrading it to a four-lane motorway. The route starts near Agia Marinouda on the Limassol - Paphos motorway and concludes after Strubi.
This phase incorporates an at-grade junction connecting to the Limassol-Paphos motorway, roundabouts at Tsada and the endpoint after Strubi, 720m and 290m perforated tunnels, 5 valley bridges (1500m total length), 2 overpasses, and 9 underground crossings. Additional lanes over approximately 12 km will be constructed due to the road's gradient. The total length of the Pafos - Polis Chrysochous motorway is approximately 31 km. The second phase, spanning 15 km, will extend from Strubi to Polis Chrysochous.
