Six development projects with a combined estimated cost of around €50 million are expected to begin within the year in Larnaca and the municipal districts of Livadia and Voroklini, Mayor Andreas Vyras said.
The largest project is the Priority Works of Larnaca’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), which covers the construction of bus lanes and cycle paths with a budget of around €20 million, Vyras said.
The proposed design aims to contribute to promoting sustainable mobility with multiple benefits for Larnaca society, he said.
The project provides for the qualitative upgrade of over 15 main avenues and roads in Larnaca to create 30 kilometres of cycle lanes and 11 kilometres of bus lanes, Vyras added.
The designs aim to reorganise existing cross-sections and include one-way streets, reduction of vehicle lanes on main avenues, tree planting, road surface reconstruction and pavement completion, he said.
The project falls under immediate priority actions for promoting the SUMP, with the Department of Public Works as the contracting authority, he said.
Work on the TEPAK School of Marine Sciences and Sustainable Development is also expected to begin within the year at a cost of €13 million, Vyras said. The project involves the construction of building facilities for TEPAK’s School of Marine Sciences, Technology and Sustainable Development in Larnaca on a plot near the Mackenzie parking area to house the school’s educational and research operations.
The spaces will include lecture theatres, classrooms, meeting rooms, staff and student offices, specialised laboratories and advanced IT infrastructure supporting distance learning, he said. The building facilities total 4,960 square metres of enclosed and covered spaces.
The redevelopment of Archbishop Makarios III Avenue in Livadia, estimated to cost €3.6 million, will also start within the year, the Larnaca mayor said. The urban planning project includes new paving for roads and pavements with cobblestones, planting, underground utility services, water network replacement, stormwater and sewage system construction, work on church fencing and courtyards, parking space creation and addition of appropriate street furniture and lighting.
Vyras said work on the Voroklini Old Neighbourhood Restoration and Revitalisation – Final Phase is also expected to start within 2026. The proposed arrangements will transform the road network of Voroklini’s historic core into a level shared space for all users including people with disabilities, he said.
He explained that people with disabilities will be able to move with greater safety and better functional conditions within European standards (shared space) where conditions due to limited width cannot allow separate and distinct routes for all users.
The project, costing €2.4 million, includes new paving for roads and pavements with cobblestones, planting, underground utility services and addition of appropriate street furniture and lighting.
The long-awaited Agios Ioannis Parish Redevelopment in Larnaca will also begin within the year at an estimated cost of around €2.3 million, Vyras said. The urban planning project concerns the redevelopment, improvement and reconstruction of the existing road network with widening of existing pavements and upgrading of public space.
The aim is to create sustainable mobility conditions, he said. The design provides for creation of a central square and platforms, reconstruction of road surfaces on adjacent roads and pavements, revision of road signage, improved accessibility and enrichment of greenery with new tree planting.
The design aims to highlight the architectural, urban planning, historical, social and environmental value of the Agios Ioannis area, he added.
Asked about housing municipal services in the old Larnaca Hospital site, a project discussed for years, Vyras said this project is also expected to start within 2026 at an estimated cost of around €9 million.
The project involves restoration, maintenance and configuration of existing listed and non-listed buildings, demolition of non-listed buildings and completion with new constructions to house Larnaca municipal services at the old hospital site, he said.
The project includes landscaping of external spaces surrounding the buildings and creation of a square, planting and green space on the building’s south side and parking space on the north side, the mayor concluded.