A new chapter in the saga of the Paphos—The Ministry of Transport has decided to “backtrack,” as it appears to have canceled the new bids submitted by two companies to continue the long-delayed project. According to reports, the government reportedly deemed the bids—amounting to 128 and 124 million euros, submitted by two construction companies, respectively—to be “unfavorable.”
From the very moment the bids were “opened,” the Department of Public Works had expressed strong concern about the high cost, compared to when the project was first awarded to INTRACAT at nearly one-third of the current prices. The contract between the government and INTRACAT was terminated in November 2024, and these developments are expected to cause further delays in the project.
The issue has sparked fresh backlash from local government authorities and residents of the area, who accuse the authorities of “making a mockery” of the situation.
The original contract for the road was signed in 2021, with a completion timeline of three and a half years. In 2024, it was decided to terminate the contract, following a year of warnings that the project was not progressing. In 2025, it was decided to re-tender the project. In 2026, the new tender for the first phase was canceled, while a tender for the second phase of the project was scheduled to be announced later that same year.
