RESIDENTS in parts of Kissonerga village in Paphos have been prevented from gaining direct access to their homes for as much as a year and a half because of ongoing sewerage works, which have rendered many roads impassable.
A Paphos AKEL party official has described the roads in Kissonerga as “a mad labyrinth”.
Marios Ignatiou said the residents of Kissonerga and the immediate area were losing patience and were suffering terrible driving conditions on a daily basis.
Many have endured the situation for over 18 months. Endless stretches of roads in Kissonerga and the immediate area are being dug up as part of the ongoing works to upgrade the sewerage system .
In an interview on local radio, Ignatiou highlighted the fact that the main Kissonerga road of Christoukkeli has been closed to traffic for a year, whilst some of the side roads have been closed for 18 months.
The AKEL official added that a number of residents were unable to directly access their homes as this was only possible for those with a 4X4 vehicle.
Ignatiou said there were far too many open sites in Kissonerga, none of which are completed, before another area is opened up. “This means that motorists have to get used to new road diversions every week,” he said.
Residents have long been complaining about the delays. Complaints made to sewerage officials and local authorities have included those relating to damaged vehicles caused by open trenches and potholes, inadequate danger and diversion signs, dust, dirt and ongoing construction noise.
In response to Ignatiou’s comments, Efthichious Malakides, the district engineer of the Paphos Sewerage Board, said the works on the Chlorakas to Kissonerga road were due to be completed before Christmas.
He said by March 2011 all works in Kissonerga were due to be completed because the board decided to pay additional money to the contractor for overtime.
The district engineer said the Kissonerga upgrade had proved to be particularly difficult and time- consuming due to numerous problems. He said that a lack of easy access to some areas, along with a lack of alternative traffic routes had contributed to the problems. This was an issue for the police, he said.
He also said that some of the alternative routes were proving especially problematic for drivers in the dark but once the project was finished, residents would notice the improvement.
In the meantime, work on part of the main road south of Paphos General Hospital has been completed and was re-opened to traffic yesterday. The section includes the Paphos to Konia road and Achepans street.
This move is expected to greatly improve traffic movement in the area, which was becoming gridlocked during peak hours.
Officials believe that the traffic jams and slow-moving traffic in Paphos will be further improved with the completion of the second phase of the north circular rind road, which will take traffic around the town.
In addition, a new roundabout, which will be constructed in the area of the ‘Viofos’ junction in the New Year, is expected to further alleviate traffic flow.
The situation should be fully resolved, say local officials, when the ring-road encircling the town is finally completed.
