First phase of Nicosia ring road nears completion

The first phase of the Nicosia ring road is to set be officially completed and handed over on Thursday, the public works department said on Monday.

Deputy director of the public works department Eleftherios Eleftheriou, speaking on CyBC radio said the works were ongoing at an “intensified pace.”

“We expect the works for the first phase to be completed by August 8,” he said. He added that all that was left to carry out were the finishing touches and safety features, such as installing signage and paving.

Offers are being awaited for the second phase, which will connect Anthoupolis, Lakatamia and Deftera, and is expected to start early 2025.

The third phase involving a revamp of the Anthoupolis roundabout, will also start within the first quarter of 2025, Eleftheriou added.

The entire works are slated for completion by 2030 to 2032, the director said, and are expected to significantly reduce congestion as traffic from Nicosia to the mountains, Larnaca and Limassol will be shunted away from secondary roads.

“Motorists will not find a single traffic light in their way,” the director said, once the entire undertaking is complete.

The works had been pushed back from an initially extended deadline of Monday, for which the contractor is paying €5,550 daily in fines.

Elsewhere, negotiations are still underway for the Polis-Paphos highway, Eleftheriou said.

“We have put forth out positions and we expect the contractor to honour his obligations,” he added.