The residents of Limassol are furious following the Cabinet’s approval of the construction of a second shopping center in the Agios Athanasios area. This is an area that suffers daily from unbearable traffic chaos.

“It will certainly put a strain on the already problematic road network, which is heavily congested. The Cabinet and the government must also listen to local authorities. Because we know the problems of our area best.”
Kyriakos Xydias – Mayor of Amathous

The mayor made it clear that during the public consultation, residents strongly voiced concerns about the already severe traffic problem, emphasizing that if and when this specific project moves forward, necessary infrastructure projects must be completed to alleviate traffic congestion.

“For us, it is crucial that Vythkiou Avenue, as well as Agios Athanasios Avenue, be completed and extend all the way to the beach. Similarly, the area’s secondary road network—where this specific proposal is located—needs improvements. These are essential for the area to breathe.”
Kyriakos Xydias

This chaos is further confirmed by traffic data from the Department of Public Works, which shows that the Agios Athanasios bypass is the area with the heaviest traffic volume, from 2015 to the present, with an increase of approximately 32,000 vehicles per day.

“In the Agios Athanasios area, traffic appears to be reaching levels we’ve never seen before as a department.”
Alexandros Avgoustis – Executive Engineer, Department of Public Works

Alexandros Avgoustis expressed the Ministry of Transportation’s intention to proceed with targeted projects in the area to alleviate traffic congestion, while emphasizing that the Department of Public Works has imposed thesestrict conditions on the owner of the future shopping center with the aim of keeping traffic under control.

“Steps are already being taken, on the initiative of the Minister of Transport and the Department of Public Works, to improve the current situation.”
Alexandros Avgoustis

Of course, the situation on the road network has not been limited to the Limassol district. Data from the Department of Public Works show the same increase in vehicle traffic in the Nicosia district as well.

Historically, the greatest increase in traffic has been at the entrance to the capital, at the well-known “Kalispera Lights,” Limassol Avenue, “Hatzioannou” Avenue, “Spyrou Kyprianou” Avenue, and “Griva Digeni” Avenue.

Watch Eleni Michael’s report: