Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades is set to return to Limassol on 24 July for a follow-up meeting with the city's mayors to discuss priority projects aimed at tackling the area's worsening traffic congestion.
The meeting, to be hosted by the Amathus Municipality, will bring together the minister, the four mayors of greater Limassol and officials from the various government departments involved.
It follows an earlier meeting on 25 May, at which participants agreed to reconvene and finalise a list of traffic-related priorities. Although the follow-up was initially expected within two weeks, it will take place nearly two months later after a series of preparatory meetings between municipalities and government officials.
Northern bypass remains top priority
There is broad agreement among all parties that the northern bypass road remains the most important infrastructure project for easing congestion across Limassol.
Local authorities argue that severe traffic problems at roundabouts and along the motorway can only be substantially improved through the construction of the bypass in its entirety.
Officials from the Transport Ministry and the Public Works Department are reportedly optimistic that tenders could be issued before the end of 2026 for the sections linked to Evagoras Lanitis Avenue and Synergatismou Street.
At the same time, local authorities are expected to seek timelines for additional sections, particularly the Agios Athanasios-Germasogeia stretch, which serves one of the busiest and most heavily congested sections of motorway in Cyprus.
Calls for quicker interventions
According to information obtained by Politis, the minister will also be asked to advance smaller-scale projects that could be implemented quickly and help alleviate traffic pressures in the short term.
These include infrastructure works such as bridges and new access points connecting the motorway and the area between Germasogeia and Agios Athanasios, which form part of the broader northern bypass plan but are unlikely to be completed in the near future.
Other projects on the agenda
The Agios Athanasios Avenue upgrade is also expected to feature prominently in discussions, particularly after the completion of planning studies linked to the proposed new mall development.
Meanwhile, the Municipality of Limassol is expected to stress the need to complete key infrastructure projects, particularly park-and-ride facilities, before proceeding with other measures included in the city's Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.
The municipality's priority list also includes:
- The Agia Fyla urban-planning project
- The conversion of Thessalonikis Street into a one-way road
- Completion of the road connection between the seafront area and Franklin Roosevelt Avenue
These projects are expected to form part of a wider discussion on both long-term and short-term solutions to Limassol's persistent traffic problem.
