The bids submitted by contracting companies for the two priority project tenders within the Limassol Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan are currently under evaluation by financial bodies. Specifically, the projects involve the creation of bus lanes, as confirmed to “Entrepreneurial Limassol” by the Public Works Department, which announced the tenders. The two tenders, announced on August 7, involve the coastal avenue and the road south of the Troodos roundabout, Nikou and Despoinas Pattichi Avenue. The total estimated value of the two projects amounts to 8.35 million euros and is co-funded by the European Union through the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
In response to our question about when the projects will be awarded, the Public Works Department refrained from setting a specific date, noting that awarding typically takes place shortly after the evaluation is completed, provided there are no delays or appeals from the bidders. Regarding potential contract modifications, specifically the possibility of "high-occupancy lanes" instead of bus lanes—a proposal put forward by Limassol Mayor Mr. Yiannis Armeftis and the Minister of Transport Mr. Alexis Vafeadis—we were informed that the tender documents remain unchanged at this stage, as no supplementary documents concerning high-occupancy lanes have been added. The Public Works Department confirmed that the possibility of converting the bus lanes is under review, noting that any changes would be implemented at a later stage.
For the tender for the bus lane along the Limassol coastal road, along with bike infrastructure projects, three bids were submitted: from Cyfield Construction Limited for 7.944 million euros, Iacovou Construction for 8.137 million euros, and Araco Construction CY for 8.598 million euros. Similarly, for the bus lane and bike infrastructure project south of the Troodos roundabout on Nikou and Despoinas Pattichi Avenue, the bids submitted were from Cyfield Construction for 2.855 million euros, Iacovou Construction for 2.963 million euros, and Araco Construction CY for 3.049 million euros.
During a recent meeting where the views of local business owners were also heard, the Limassol Municipal Council reiterated the Mayor’s position that the bus lanes, as currently designed, are not acceptable. “Entrepreneurial Limassol” reached out to the Public Works Department for updates on the re-tendering process for the park and ride projects in Limassol, for which no bids were submitted. We were informed that on Thursday, November 13, 2024, the Tender Council will meet to decide on the park and ride tender for the Limassol district. On the same day, a meeting is scheduled between the Minister of Transport Mr. Alexis Vafeadis and the Mayor of Limassol to discuss the city's traffic issues.
The Public Works Department will subsequently proceed with updates to the tender documents for the park and ride stations, issuing a new certificate of document compliance as required by project funding regulations, and the tender will be re-announced. If there are no delays, this is expected to happen within the next month. The Public Works Department had previously announced a tender for the construction of two Parking and park and ride Stations in Polemidia and Agios Tychonas, with an estimated value of 3.3 million euros, but there was no interest. The project includes the study, construction, and 12-year maintenance of the two stations as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
