Paphos-Polis Highway Tender Collapses as Both Bids Rejected
Cyprus's tender board has thrown out both offers for the Paphos-Polis Chrysochous highway, leaving the long-delayed project without a contractor and the ministry searching for a new way forward.
Both bids for the Paphos–Polis Chrysochous highway have been thrown out, Transport Minister Evi Tsolaki told the House finance committee on Friday, as Cyprus Mail reports. The tender board's decision was unanimous and, in the minister's words, "expected".
One offer failed because "crucial documentation was missing", while the other came in far above the ministry's own projection. Cyfield Construction had priced the work at €124.85 million excluding VAT, and a joint venture of Araco Construction and Geostroy at €128.94 million, against a state estimate of €90.2 million — gaps of roughly 40 per cent.
The contract covered the first phase of the motorway, about 15.5 kilometres between Ayia Marinouda and Stroumbi, planned as a two-lane road with room to grow to four, plus five bridges, two tunnels, four overpasses and twelve underpasses. Tsolaki insisted the government still wants the road built, and said a meeting has been called to examine alternatives, including a four-lane option.
"Dates back to the 1970s and, as the years go by, its implementation becomes more difficult, which is why we are studying other ways to bring it to fruition," Tsolaki said.
What it means for residents
For anyone driving between Paphos and the Polis area, nothing changes on the ground for now — and the wait looks set to stretch further. Rejecting both bids resets the procurement process, so the money already earmarked cannot be spent on construction until a new tender or a revised plan is agreed.
- Expect more of the same traffic. The coastal route stays as it is, so journey times on the Paphos–Polis corridor will not improve in the near term.
- Watch the autumn decisions. The public works department has submitted options, and the minister is to weigh cost and timetable — these choices will shape when, or whether, construction restarts.
- Budget scrutiny continues. MPs have signalled they will pursue the issue further, so residents should expect the project's financing to stay in the public eye.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
