The second phase of a two-phase project to build a dual carriageway linking Limassol New Port – Cyprus’s principal seaport – with the A6 motorway between Limassol and Paphos is underway with support from EU funding. The project will provide good road transport connections between the port and the various districts of Limassol, as well as with the national highway network leading to other parts of Cyprus.
- 22 November 2019
Phase two of the work covers the building of a section of the Vertical Road – the main road from the New Port to the Limassol-Paphos motorway – approximately 1.1 km in length. This completes the connection between the port and the motorway.
Also included in the second phase is the upgrading of a 2.6 km road, along with the construction of pavements and cycle paths. The road is known as the Parallel Road and is essentially an extension of the Vertical Road. Offering direct access to the port, it runs along its northern boundary, linking its eastern entrance with the Vertical Road.
Modern, well-drained roads
Over the entire project, construction and upgrading of the Vertical Road has been the principal task. Forming part of the Trans-European Transport Network, it has a total length of 5.6 km and a speed limit of 65 km/h, dropping to 50 km/h around junctions and traffic lights.
Another element of the work is the installation of a storm water drainage system. The system is intended to reduce the effects of flooding, which is a regular problem in the area.
An important transport hub
For many centuries, the Port of Famagusta was Cyprus’s main seaport. This changed after the Turkish invasion of the northern part of the island in 1974, following which Famagusta was located in the occupied zone. It remains the largest commercial seaport in Northern Cyprus.
In response, the Limassol New Port was built, superseding the city’s Old Port, which was subsequently largely used for leisure and fishing, while the adjacent area has since been redeveloped as a marina. The New Port, by contrast, has increased in significance and is today a key maritime hub for passenger and freight transport, as well as an important centre for numerous shipping companies. In recent years, it has also served as an evacuation point for refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East.
Home to more than 180 000 people, Limassol is Cyprus’s second city. As well as its port, it benefits from important motorway links. Along with the A6, these include the A1, which runs northwards to the capital, Nicosia, and the A5, which goes eastwards, in the direction of Larnaca, the country’s third largest city and the site of its main international airport.
The A6 is 66 km in length, ending at Paphos, 2017 European Capital of Culture and one of the island’s top tourist destinations. With its ancient Greek and Roman remains featuring some of the world’s most beautiful mosaics, the city’s archaeological park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Primary Road Connecting the New Limassol Port with the Limassol-Pafos Motorway – Phase II” is EUR 31 563 306, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 25 491 647 through the “Competitiveness and sustainable development” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.