The Ministry of Transport and Limassol's four municipalities have agreed to prioritise a series of road projects under a coordinated roadmap aimed at tackling the city's growing traffic congestion.
Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, speaking after a meeting on Friday with the mayors of Limassol, Amathounta, Kourion and Polemidia, as well as community leaders and government officials, said Limassol's traffic problems "cannot be solved through piecemeal measures".
Long-term solutions
The meeting reviewed both major long-term infrastructure projects and smaller schemes that could provide more immediate relief.
"For the first time, we have presented mayors and community leaders in eastern Limassol with a comprehensive list of projects that are being prepared and promoted for implementation," Vafeades said.
He described the discussions as constructive, saying priorities had been identified alongside the main challenges and the actions required from central government.
Vafeades said the meeting marked the beginning of an ongoing process of cooperation and coordination between central government and local authorities to deliver the projects.
Endless delays
All participants agreed that the northern bypass and a network of connecting roads should remain the top priorities.
The minister said he would examine a proposal by the mayors to classify the northern bypass as a project of supra-local importance rather than a town planning project, a move they believe would accelerate implementation.
He also acknowledged that mandatory feasibility studies continue to delay projects. While these are required under current legislation, he said he would discuss with the finance minister whether a single feasibility study could be carried out for the overall programme rather than requiring separate studies for each individual project.
Limassol a 'living organism'
Vafeades agreed with concerns raised by Limassol's mayors that, without intervention, travel from the northern suburbs into the city centre could soon become unmanageable.
"Limassol is a living organism. It continues to grow rapidly and, unless we implement measures quickly and effectively, we risk creating a situation that discourages development rather than supporting it," he said.
Among the short-term measures, Vafeades said authorities had identified projects that could be delivered relatively quickly, including the installation of smart traffic lights, which are expected to reduce congestion by between 10% and 15% within a year.
New mall
Asked about concerns that approval of a new shopping centre in Agios Athanasios could worsen traffic, Vafeades said the Public Works Department had required the developers to carry out road improvements intended to keep congestion at current levels or improve traffic conditions. He said these requirements would become clear once the Cabinet decision is published.
Commenting on Thursday's lengthy disruption on the Limassol-Nicosia motorway following a lorry crash, Vafeades said the police had highlighted the seriousness of the incident and the need to manage it with caution.
He acknowledged complaints about inadequate information for motorists and said motorway incident management needed to be reviewed, including better communication and support for drivers stranded during major incidents.
New bypass
Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis said the existing bypass had reached its limits and stressed that construction of the northern bypass should begin as soon as possible.
He said the planned tender for Evagoras Lanitis Avenue remained on track for late 2026 or early 2027, while stressing that all sections of the bypass would need to be completed for the project to deliver its full benefits.
Armeftis also highlighted the need for short-term traffic management measures, including improvements at Ellis Lambeti Street, Costis Palamas Street and Idomeneos Street, as well as progress on delayed projects such as the Franklin Roosevelt Avenue seafront connection and the second and third phases of the Agia Fyla road scheme.
Amathounta Mayor Kyriakos Xydias welcomed what he described as the first practical effort to establish clear priorities instead of discussing an extensive list of projects without implementation.
Not much hope
He said the roadmap should help move projects forward but warned that coordination issues between government departments were still likely to cause delays.
Although he believed progress would be made, Xydias said he was "not at all optimistic" that many of the projects announced by the President would be completed by 2027.
He also warned that the Limassol bypass now functions as a major urban road rather than an intercity route, effectively dividing the city in two.
"If we do nothing, it will choke the city," he said, adding that completing the northern bypass and its connecting roads was essential.
Xydias welcomed the minister's commitment to continue discussions at a follow-up meeting in September.
