paphos-polis road — paphos-polis road — Former Disy leader Averof Neophytou has raised concerns over the increasing costs associated with the construction of the road linking Paphos and Polis Chrysochous. The latest tender for the project suggests that expenses could reach nearly double the original budget, leaving taxpayers facing significant financial implications.
Photo: cyprus-mail.com
Neophytou, who has held positions as both a public works minister and the mayor of Polis Chrysochous, took to social media on Saturday to express his bewilderment at the situation. He recalled having cautioned the government back in 2024 against cancelling public works contracts in a bid to reduce costs.
“With the government’s justification that it dares to terminate them in order to finish them faster and cheaper for the taxpayer, I had pointed out that exactly the opposite will happen,” he stated.
Thus far, serious discussions have only centred on the first phase of the project, which aims to connect Ayia Marinouda, located just outside Paphos, with Stroumbi, situated approximately halfway between the endpoints. This initial phase spans around 15.5 kilometres.
The project was initially contracted to the Greek construction firm Intrakat, now referred to as Aktor, in 2021, with a goal to complete it by early 2025. However, the government terminated this contract in 2024, citing the contractor’s demands for additional costs and delays as problematic.
Neophytou commented on the situation, highlighting that the government deemed the contractor’s request for an extra €25 million as reasonable, which would have brought the total project cost to €98 million. “If the additional €25m had been granted, the road would have been finished by now at a cost of €98m,” he noted.
After nearly two years of delays, the project has reopened for bids, with the lowest new tender placing the cost at €125 million. Neophytou further revealed that the government had already disbursed €16 million to Intrakat for work completed prior to the contract termination, bringing the total projected cost to €141 million.
If awarded, Neophytou warns that the final expenditure could exceed this amount due to potential additional costs arising during construction. “In the end, the project will cost us an additional €43 million,” he said, asserting that it is unlikely to be completed within the current government’s term, which ends in February 2028.
Two new bids have emerged for the project, one from the beleaguered Cyfield construction company, valued just under €125 million, and another joint bid from the Cypriot subsidiary of Lebanese firm Araco and Bulgarian company Geostroy, estimated at nearly €129 million. Both amounts significantly surpass the public works department’s earlier estimate of €90.2 million plus VAT.
The department attributed the rise in costs to the termination of the original contract and the increase in construction material prices over recent years. It reported that delays and a slow pace of work under Intrakat led to the eventual decision to cancel the contract.
According to the public works department, by April 2024, the project had only progressed to 21.1% completion, which led to concerns over further demands for additional funding and extensions from the contractor.
