With only a minor delay, Phase B3 of the Nicosia Perimeter Highway — connecting the Lakatamia–Deftera road to Phase C — will move forward next month. Speaking to OffsiteNews, Director of the Public Works Department, Eleftherios Eleftheriou, confirmed that Phase C of the project is also scheduled to begin in 2025. The overall highway project, consisting of five phases and a €400 million total investment, is expected to be completed by 2032.

Tenders for Phase B3 were launched in the summer of 2024 and are currently in the awarding process. The final offer is expected to be announced next month, paving the way for construction to begin. Eleftheriou explained that there was a very minor delay, insignificant to the overall timeline, mainly due to awaiting the completion and publication of expropriations necessary for the second phase. He assured that the final contract for Phase B3 would be signed in the coming month.

The duration of the Phase B3 contract is 36 months, with a cost of €29.92 million plus VAT.

Phase B3 will connect the Lakatamia–Deftera road with Phase C. The project will follow a route west of Archiepiskopos Makarios III Avenue, beyond the Pediaios River, heading towards the Anthoupoli settlements and areas in Deftera. This phase includes a 2.15 km section of motorway and 1 km of local/connector roads with two traffic lanes, linked via two interchanges.

Eleftheriou also noted that preparations for Phase C are underway, with tender processes expected to start in June. Phase C covers a 7.2 km section of motorway beginning at the Anthoupoli/Makedonitissa interchange and extending south towards Anagyia, connecting with the Palaiometocho–Palaichori road.

Phase C also includes 3.5 km of local/connector roads with two and four lanes, connecting through seven interchanges, including a major motorway-to-motorway junction. The total cost of Phase C is estimated at €75 million plus VAT and is co-financed by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility. The expected duration is 48 months.

According to Eleftheriou, Phase A2 of the highway is scheduled to begin in 2026. This phase will connect the new interchange at Tseri to a section along Archiepiskopos Makarios III Avenue in Lakatamia, covering a total length of 23.3 km. The cost of Phase A2 is projected at €100 million plus VAT. This section will form a critical primary road network through Tseri and Latsia.

By late 2027 or early 2028, Phase D is expected to start. It will last two years and include 6.6 km of motorway and 4 km of two- and four-lane local/connector roads, linking through two interchanges.

Phase E, the final stage of the project, is planned to go out to tender in 2028. This phase will connect the Perimeter Highway with the existing Anthoupoli–Deneia road, running north through Deftera, Agioi Trimithias, and Palaiometocho, and linking to the Nicosia–Troodos motorway via a new interchange.

Phase E will involve 4.2 km of motorway and 1 km of local/connector roads, with two interchanges connecting different sections.

Eleftheriou highlighted that Phase A1, delivered on August 8, 2024, has already significantly eased traffic congestion at Nicosia’s entrance. Statistical data shows a 25% reduction in traffic, with more than 17,000 vehicles using the new section daily. A 12% drop in morning peak traffic was recorded along Spyros Kyprianou Avenue, demonstrating the project’s impact even before the completion of the remaining phases.