Gravel spill causes peak hour chaos

TWO kilometres of the Nicosia-Larnaca Highway were closed off to traffic for nearly three hours yesterday morning, when a lorry spilt its load of gravel onto the road.

The incident happened at 6.10 am near Lympia, with a police spokesman saying the lorry’s back door wasn’t closed properly, resulting in the gravel falling onto the road.

A car following the lorry skidded on the gravel and crashed into the hard shoulder. The driver was unhurt.
The lorry driver, 46-year-old Costas Constantinou, did not at first realise his lorry was spilling its load and drove on for two kilometres, before stopping and calling the police himself.

The police closed off the affected section of the highway, for safety reasons, a decision which caused traffic congestion, made worse by the fact that it was the Monday morning rush-hour.

Police directed traffic to the Pera Chorio exit, 30 kilometres from Larnaca.

The Department of Public Works were called to the scene to clean the road, which then re-opened at 9.00 am.

Constantinou has been charged with carrying a dangerous load and will have to pay a small fine. He is also responsible for repairing the damage to the other vehicle.

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