Filenews 25 July 2022 - by Dora Christodoulou
Some of them have been "accompanying" the daily life of the Paphites for many months. Some others, for years. This summer, however, the time has come when we will say goodbye to some 'projects' and they will no longer bother us.
The reason for the construction sites scattered in Paphos in order to complete the gigantic project of the total regeneration and modernization of the city, which began in 2014 and partially continues to this day. At the end of last week, the progress of the most important of them, the Minister of Works had the opportunity to see up close the projects and he expressed his satisfaction with the promotion of the major projects that are in progress, but also announced the unblocking of others during the summer.
Yiannis Karousos had the opportunity, on the sidelines of the opening ceremonies of two major projects of supra-local importance, such as the new Paphos-Polis Chrysochous road and the extension of the port in Latchi, to tour the works that are in progress in the Municipality of Paphos, but also to chair a meeting on pending issues related to major projects in the district.
Accompanied by Paphos Mayor Phaedon Phaedonos, Mr. Karousos visited in particular the ongoing project to improve Ellados Avenue, the Archaeological Museum, the infrastructure for city buses and the site where the work of unifying the archaeological sites in Kato Paphos is being carried out.
Expressing his satisfaction with the pace of promotion of construction sites, the competent minister characteristically stressed that the Municipality of Paphos is an example to be imitated that cooperates excellently with the Government, while also ensuring that the timetables set are met. Yiannis Karousos was particularly pleased at the site of the unification of the archaeological treasures of Kato Pafos, having the opportunity to climb the above-ground bridge that will connect these sites and which offers an excellent aesthetic spectacle from above. He also expressed his satisfaction for the fact that during his tour of the construction site he found that the unifying archaeological sites are already flooded with tourists who enjoy their walk in the landscape of the unique natural beauty.
The competent minister also saw the progress that is being made at the large construction site in the centre of Paphos for the redevelopment of the central Ellados Avenue, from which there will be a functional and aesthetic upgrade of a huge area in the central fabric of the city.
His certainty that everything is now underway towards the final stage so that Paphos can complete its modern appearance, was expressed during the tour of Mr. Karousos and the mayor of Paphos who accompanied him. Phaedonas Phaedonos stressed that the Municipality of Paphos responded to the trust with which the state surrounded it and the large-scale projects it undertook, are being implemented both within the timeframes and with quality.
Optimism for breakwaters
Regarding the breakwaters on the western coastal front of Pafos and the objections submitted to the continuation of the project by the Departments of Fisheries and Antiquities, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works stressed that proposals have been made by the two sections and in the coming days they will be finalized, in order to proceed with all the appropriate moves for the announcement of this important project for Paphos.
Yannis Karousos expressed his optimism for both these pending issues, saying that there are solutions that are acceptable to everyone, so that there is no influence on the environment or antiquities.
The president of SEKO, mayor of Paphos, Phaedonas Phaedonos, estimated in his statements that the meeting under the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works marks a path of maturity for both of these projects.
Appraisal for airport road solutions
And while this summer is expected to mark the final completion of the major construction sites, it will mean, as everything shows, the parallel disengagement of two other major projects of supra-local importance. The Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, who attended on the same day a meeting of the Coordinating Committee of Parties and Organizations (SEKO) of Pafos, announced that by the end of August he estimates that there will be solutions both for the issue of the second half of the new airport-tourist area road and for the issue of the continuation of the breakwaters on the western coastal front of Pafos.
The alternative route for the road we submitted, he said, is being examined by the Department of Environment and we are waiting for the opinion by the end of August. He expressed the hope that this will be positive, since there is no longer any impact on Natura areas, he stressed.
