Filenews 11 December 2022 - by Dora Christodoulou
It is one of the most beautiful routes in Cyprus, an enjoyable route by the sea and with the beautiful and luxurious villas in the bay above the blue of the sea. However, it is also one of the most dangerous routes of the road network of the place, due to its many and chronic shortcomings. This is the coastal avenue of Coral Bay, which starts from the boundaries of Kissonerga and leads to Agios Georgios Peyias.
The lack of sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and adequate lighting have tragically resulted in many deaths of pedestrians and motorists in a series of accidents in recent years. About a month ago, three massive incidents, two of which ended in fatal injuries and one seriously injured pedestrians, were the fuse for the intense return of the issue and the need for improvements to the fore.
The first of these actions has been underway for a few days now. The president of the community of Kissonerga, Giorgos Stylianou, tells "F" that after the pressure of the local Authority and organized groups of the province, the Department of Public Works has begun improvement works to improve the safety conditions for pedestrians and cyclists on this route.
"The works that are being carried out on the sea side," he stressed, "concern the construction of a sidewalk and a bicycle path. This pedestrian street will be connected at some point with the corresponding pedestrian street, the construction of which began by the neighbouring Municipality of Peyia, and will be part of the largest pedestrian street in Cyprus, with a total length of 14 km.
Along with the pedestrian street, the bicycle path will be created for the many cyclists, who rush to the area for one of the most beautiful natural routes in Cyprus".
According to the president of the Community Council of Kissonerga, these works will be carried out under all safety conditions and with their protection from traffic through the construction by a dividing parapet from the roadway.
"The work that is underway," he said, "is separate from the request of the whole of Paphos to improve the other conditions that have resulted in many road fatalities in recent years. These improvements will be made with the new road project, due to which the lighting of the existing boulevard is problematic. And this, since the competent bodies placed the lighting pillars at a significant distance from the current road surface, so that the new road surface will cover the area, without then having to move them".
The Community Council of Kissonerga, according to its president, publicly called on the presidential candidates of the Republic of Cyprus to commit that the project will be given priority and that it will definitely be completed within the term of office of the new President.
"There must be an immediate upgrade and enhancement of the lighting and a partial widening of the pavement base by about 80 cm on both sides of the road," he pointed out. "Under no circumstances can the Community Council of Kissonerga accept to continue the non-upgrading and improvement of this avenue on the grounds that there will be a reconstruction in five years. According to the competent minister, it is expected that the announcement of tenders for a designer who will make the construction plans will take place in the first quarter of 2023 and for the preparation of the study and the plans will be given a completion time of 2 years.
If there is also time allowed to study the bids, objections, and award the bid, another six months to a year, then only the study for the preparation of the construction plans will take about 3 years, while it will take another year to prepare the terms of the bids for the construction of the road, so construction is not expected to begin before the next five years have passed".
The significant upgrade in terms of public safety of the coastal avenue of Coral Bay is not only a matter of Kissonerga. Two other Local Government Authorities are affected by this road axis and have also taken steps to change the current dangerous situation.
After the successive two tragedies in the space of 24 hours from each other last month, with the victims of two foreign permanent residents of the area, Peyia and Chlorakas, they are reuniting their voices with Kissonerga for the total upgrade of the avenue.
SOS zero security
The president of the community of Chlorakas, Nikolas Liasidis, tells "F" that despite the importance of this road axis and its continuous dense movement, its safety is zero. It is, he stressed, a road without sidewalks, without lighting and without crossings, which, in addition, every winter presents serious issues with the entry of the sea onto parts of it. After the new tragedies of recent times, its reconstruction cannot be delayed any longer."
An intervention through the Parliament to the Ministry of Transport for the immediate improvement of safety conditions on this avenue was recently made by Pafos MPs.
Key project for the Municipality of Peyia
The mayor of Peyia, Marinos Lambrou, stressed to "F" that the improvement of this road based on modern standards for the safe movement of pedestrians and motorists is a top priority for the municipal authority, which has submitted the relevant plans to the competent state departments, as one of its main projects for a section concerning the municipal boundaries of Peyia.
