The President of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Andreas Tsouloftas, raised the alarm over the serious consequences of the traffic problem in Limassol on the economy and the city’s development trajectory during the recent broad meeting held at Limassol Town Hall under the Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafeades, with the participation of mayors, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders.
Mr. Tsouloftas stated that the severity of the traffic problem poses an immediate threat to Limassol’s development course, noting that the city is the “engine” of the Cypriot economy, contributing nearly 50% of the country’s GDP. As he explained, the quality of life of citizens, as well as the daily operations of businesses, have reached a critical point, creating enormous problems. He also warned that major companies in the high-tech sector are even considering leaving Cyprus because of the traffic issue.
“We cannot continue to see projects being carried out in every district except Limassol. The 2026 budget for Limassol essentially includes nothing substantial, and this is disappointing,” he stated. The President of the Limassol Chamber further stressed that coordination among more ministries is required in order to promote the necessary projects, pointing out that many of them are urban planning related. He also expressed the view that both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Interior should become involved so that studies and procedures discussed for years can finally move forward.
He made special reference to the Northern Bypass, underlining that the project should have begun five years ago and that immediate decisions are now required for its implementation. “Limassol cannot remain in this situation for another one, two, or three years. The problem is serious. We will lose businesses, while public trust in Limassol is also being lost,” he noted, calling on the government to devote time and resources to the immediate promotion of the projects.
Minister Alexis Vafeades, who agreed with the remarks made by the President of the Limassol Chamber, stated that once the prioritisation of projects is completed, immediate goals will also be determined. He added that beyond the Northern Bypass, there are smaller projects that can be promoted immediately in order to provide quick relief to the traffic problem. At the same time, he stressed that in a city where around 10,000 new cars are registered every year, the road network must continuously be upgraded.
During the meeting, the mayors and community leaders of the district presented their key priorities for addressing the traffic problem. The Mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, identified as key priorities the Northern Bypass, concerning Evagoras Lanitis Avenue within the boundaries of Limassol Municipality, from 1st April Avenue to Yiannos Kranidiotis Avenue, as well as the implementation of commitments made by the President of the Republic.
At the same time, he referred to immediate projects aimed at facilitating access to the Nicosia–Paphos motorway through Kostis Palamas and Elli Lambeti streets, the promotion of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan projects, as well as the connection of Franklin Roosevelt Avenue with the seafront road. The Mayor of Kourion, Pantelis Georgiou, stressed that Ilias Kannavourou Avenue is a project of exceptional importance, as it will contribute to creating an exit towards Limassol for the western areas.
Among his priorities, he also included the section of the access road towards Vati, in order to facilitate entry and exit from the suburban and industrial areas of western Limassol, as well as related projects of the Northern Bypass, such as the creation of a roundabout on the motorway. Mr. Georgiou further stressed that it is very important for the Northern Bypass to be fully funded by the state, due to both its exceptional importance and the high cost of the project.
The Mayor of Amathounta, Kyriakos Xydias, identified as key priorities for the municipality the vertical motorway from the German Medical Institute and Oncology Centre to Pizza Hut on the seafront road, also known as the Vikia area vertical road, the connection of Agios Athanasios Avenue with the beach, as well as the section of the Northern Bypass that falls within the boundaries of Amathounta Municipality, from its junction with the Germasogeia bypass road to Armenias Street in Agios Athanasios.
The Community President of Parekklisia, Menelaos Menelaou, identified as priorities the widening of the road at the two-lane section towards Pyrgos, the construction of a roundabout at the junction connecting the Parekklisia road with the motorway, as well as the promotion of the regulatory plan covering the section of the Parekklisia road from the Community Council building to the exit of the community towards Mazokambos, to the north.
Additionally, he raised the request for the creation of a third lane under the motorway bridge towards the seafront road. The Community President of Pyrgos, Neoklis Christoforou, requested the creation of two exits on the motorway, one at the level of the Parklane hotel and another after Monte Caputo. As mentioned during the meeting, in the coming weeks the local authorities will consult with the Public Works Department for the finalisation of a list of projects aimed at easing the traffic problem in Limassol, in order of implementation priority.
Subsequently, another broad meeting on the matter is expected to be convened, while a special meeting regarding the Northern Bypass will take place before the end of June, with the participation of all involved public organisations. The Minister expressed the belief that within 2026, three sections of the Northern Bypass could begin construction.
