Stabilisation works on the old road between Limassol and Paphos, near Aphrodite’s Rock (Petra tou Romiou) are expected to be completed by the end of July, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said on Friday during an inspection visit to the site. 

Vafeades told journalists that the Aphrodite’s Rock area was one of the most emblematic sites in the country, but that due to the poor condition of the subsoil in the area, parts of the cliff-top were at risk of falling into the sea. 

Immediate measures had to be taken, he said, in order to carry out support works on the road to avoid any accidents. The area was also prone to landslides in bad weather.  

The work is being done jointly by the public works department and the geological surveys department, and has been going on since 2021, only entering the second phase a year ago to the day.  

Vafeades said the support works involved major reinforcement in two spots at a depth of four metres, “giving additional stability to this part of the road”.  

He added that the works would be completed on time and within budget, despite the slight delay caused by the concrete workers’ strike last year. 

“We will now be able to move safely in this area,” he said, referring specifically to the viewing layby over Aphrodite’s Rock. 

“This project required a lot of work to study and execute because we are talking about ground that moves,” he said of the subsoil. 

“The problem was identified, measures were taken and today we are here and see that all these problems are now being corrected,” he added. 

Asked if there were other areas of the road that need stabilisation, Vafeades said engineers had not identified any other danger spots along the stretch of road but added that it is always being monitored. 

Public works department director Lefteris Eleftheriou, who was also at the site on Friday, said the project had cost €3.5 million plus value added tax, and echoed Vafeades’ comment that it remained within budget. 

The length of the road being stabilised is around 800 metres, which had been closed to traffic for nigh on three years.