Deputies demand urgent fixes on Paphos-Polis road over delays and defects
Parliament's transport committee heard that the upgraded Paphos-Polis Chrysochous road suffers from surface defects and serious delays, with the ministry unable to say when work will finish or what it will cost.
The House Transport Committee discussed the technical problems, poor workmanship and delays on the existing Paphos–Polis Chrysochous road on Thursday, taking the matter up on its own initiative, as reported by the Cyprus News Agency (CYPE). Deputies said after the session that the competent Ministry of Transport could not answer either when the project would be completed or what its final cost would be, stressing that road quality and public safety are non-negotiable.
DISY MP Nikoletta Konstantinou said inspections had found deviations and that the contractor had been asked to carry out remedial work, but the contractor disputes the inspection method, which the Department of Public Works says is provided for in the contract. She noted that the purpose of the improvements to the existing road was to provide a better and safer route until the new road is built.
"Unfortunately, today we have a new road surface with smoothness problems, closed-off sections, delays and other issues that have arisen and are causing trouble for citizens," she said, adding that where the surface fails to meet specifications it must be stripped out and corrected, and that the contract sets out the procedures to follow if the contractor disagrees. No delivery pressure, timetable or dispute with the contractor, she said, can come before the quality and safety of a road used daily by thousands.
AKEL MP Valentinos Fakontis said the project had a 12-month duration and should have been finished in January 2026, and that eight months after the original delivery date it shows significant delays and poor workmanship. He said there are also technical problems with the study and the plans, as certain technical works had not been foreseen, and pointed to major defects and serious unevenness in the road surface at Tsada, along with road safety concerns. He called on the Department of Public Works and the contractor to act and repair the surface immediately.
DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvides said the road was not even fit to be a footpath, let alone a highway, and spoke of an admission by the Department of Public Works during the session regarding problems on the section between Mesogi and Tsada. He warned that lives are at risk, said the company handling the project refuses to carry out the corrections, and raised questions about how subcontracting on such works is awarded.
What it means for residents
For anyone who drives between Paphos and Polis Chrysochous, this is not an abstract dispute over contracts. The road is the everyday route to work, school, shops and hospital appointments for thousands of people, and the defects flagged in parliament are on the stretch they already use. Until the new road is built, the interim upgrade is all there is, so the practical questions are when the surface will be fixed and who pays for it.
- Expect continued disruption. Closed-off sections and remedial works mean more delays and diversions on a route with no easy alternative, so allow extra time, especially around Tsada and between Mesogi and Tsada.
- Drive to the conditions. Uneven surfaces and poor road safety were raised in the session; keep speeds down on the affected stretches and report hazards to the Department of Public Works.
- Watch the money. No completion date or final cost has been given, so residents may want to follow committee statements and ask their MPs for updates before the bill is settled.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
