Traffic chaos after roundabout delays

The construction of a roundabout in Larnaca’s Dromolaxia-Menou municipality is facing delays as some landowners have not given their consent for their land to be used for the project, community leader Kypros Andronikou said on Monday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Andronikou said that, during a House transport committee meeting Akel MP Andreas Pashiourtides raised the issue of traffic congestion within the municipality, particularly on the intersection of Makarios III and Eleftherias avenues, and suggested the construction of a roundabout to address the situation.

According to Andronikou, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades informed Pashiourtides that a feasibility study on the possible construction of the roundabout had already been prepared.

“The issue of traffic congestion at the traffic lights intersection of Makarios III and Eleftheria avenues in the Dromolaxia-Menou municipality had been previously examined by the department of public works,” Andronikou said.

The plan was approved by one of the ministry’s technical committees on June 29, 2020. Since, according to the approved plan, a small portion of an adjacent piece of land was affected, the Dromolaxia-Menou municipality was requested to secure the written consent of the affected property owners to proceed with the construction.

“However, on June 15, 2021, the municipality sent a letter to the department, informing them that it was not possible to obtain the required consent,” Andronikou said.

He said that since then several meetings between the landowners and various officials of the transport ministry and the department of public works took place, all to no avail, as the situation remains stagnant.

“Until now, no information has been received from the landowners regarding their intentions,” he said.

Andronikou also said that the department of public works sent a relevant letter to the department of lands and surveys in July 2023 for the appropriation of the required land.

“As an immediate measure to alleviate congestion problems observed, the department of public works upgraded the existing traffic-light-controlled intersection in July 2022, installing a new traffic controller with relevant improved settings,” Andronikou said.