Delivery of the first phase of the Nicosia highway ring road is scheduled for Thursday, the transport ministry said on Tuesday.

The long-delayed project includes a 7.5 kilometre road connecting the Nicosia to Limassol motorway in the Dali area with Tseri Avenue, as well as 10 kilometres of connector roads.

It also features a bridge linking the old Nicosia-Limassol road (B1) to the Nicosia-Limassol motorway (A1), an overpass near the Tseri industrial area, and a roundabout junction at the intersection of Tseri and Pefkou avenues.

An official with the Department of Public Works said finishing touches are being put to the project, and the ring road is expected to open to traffic on August 8.

The project’s delivery is 16 months off schedule, the contract stipulating that it should have been finished by the end of March 2023.

The contractor had requested and got an extension to March 2024. Then another extension was granted, to mid-June 2024, next mid-July, and finally to August 5.

As of the mid-July cutoff date, the contractor received a €5,500 penalty per day.

Assuming the project is now delivered on August 8, the total penalty will come to €132,000.

Construction works continued throughout the summer despite the restrictions on outdoor work due to the heat.

The second phase of the ring road has already been tendered.

It concerns the section running from Anthoupolis to the Lakatamia-Deftera road. Bidding closes on September 20, and the award of the contract is expected by the end of the year.

A call for tenders for the third phase is expected during the first quarter of 2025; this will involve the stretch from the Anthoupolis junction to the roundabout at Ergates.

The total estimated budget of the project, consisting of five phases, is €350 million.