A7 motorway (Cyprus)
{{Short description|Highway under construction}}
{{Infobox road
| country = CYP
| type = A
| route = 7
| alternate_name = Paphos–Polis
Αυτοκινητόδρομος Πάφου–Πόλεως
| map = A7 Motorway Cyprus map.png
| map_notes = A7 Motorway diagram
| length_km =
| length_notes = Planned: {{convert|31|km|mi|0}}
| terminus_a = Agia Marinouda Interchange (A6)
| junction =
| terminus_b = New Polis Junction
| regions = Paphos District
| cities =
| previous_type = A
| previous_route = 6
| next_type = A
| next_route = 8
}}
The A7 is a planned Motorway to link the city of Paphos with Polis, a small town in the north west of the island.
Overview
This motorway is one of the oldest demands of locals, due to number of accidents happened on the B7 road (current route towards Polis), and due to the constant heavy traffic on it. This is the first motorway project in Cyprus, which is going to be performed through the Design, Build, Finance and Operate method (DBFO). After several bureaucratic delays,{{cite news |first=Jacqueline |last=Theodoulou |title=There are better places to spend £200m |date=October 13, 2005 |url=http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=22300&archive=1 |work=Cyprus Mail |access-date=2007-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927202911/http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=22300&archive=1 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} plans are completed, and offers were made from 5 construction consortia. Although at first it was decided that the consortium called "Kinyras" was the preferred bidder, Kinyras claiming rising costs due to the ongoing financial crisis raising its financial demands, hence putting the whole project in hiatus. Following government's refusal to pay more for an already expensive project, talks moved to the second preferred bidder the Austrian-Cypriot consortium "Strabag-Nemesis".
As of 2024, 30% of the motorway has been completed and with a launch for a new contractor, it is hoped that the motorway will be fully completed by 2031.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-25 |title=Paphos-Poli Chrysochous highway to get on track {{!}} eKathimerini.com |url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1259705/paphos-poli-chrysochous-highway-to-get-on-track/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=www.ekathimerini.com |language=English}}
Project Details
The A7 will be the most expensive road project ever being held by the Republic of Cyprus, with a 447 million Euros price tag. Plans include 3 tunnels 7 bridges, 8 grade separated interchanges and 25 underpasses.{{cite web |url=http://www.mcw.gov.cy/mcw/PWD/PWD.nsf/all/53CD03B5199ED9AEC2257355003A5CB3/$file/Paphos-Polis%20Environmental%20Statement%20Non-Technical%20Summary.pdf?openelement |title=Paphos-Polis Motorway, Environmental statement |access-date=2007-11-01 |year=2007 |format=pdf |publisher=Public Works Department |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081125201136/http://www.mcw.gov.cy/mcw/pwd/pwd.nsf/all/53CD03B5199ED9AEC2257355003A5CB3/$file/Paphos-Polis%20Environmental%20Statement%20Non-Technical%20Summary.pdf?openelement |archive-date=2008-11-25 |url-status=dead }} The scheme is projected to take 4,5 years to complete and it will branch off the A6 right after the Anatoliko Industrial zone exit and bear North. It will travel East of Armou and Marathounta, west of "Minthis Hills" Golf Resort, and Stroumpi where it will meet the current B7 road and follow the current path. Here on the Motorway will narrow down to two lanes until its terminus at Polis.{{cite news | first=Antonis | last=Makrides | title=€447m the Polis road | date=January 22, 2008 | url=http://www.politis-news.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=768653&-V=articles | work=Politis news | access-date=2008-01-23 | language=el | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715102804/http://www.politis-news.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=768653&-V=articles | archive-date=July 15, 2011 | url-status=dead }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:A7 Motorway (Cyprus)}}
Category:Motorways and roads in Cyprus
Category:Proposed transport infrastructure in Cyprus
{{Cyprus-transport-stub}}