By Bejay Browne.
The completion of the overhead walkway in Kato Paphos, which has been left partially constructed for the last few years, finally looks set to get underway as the tender has been awarded.
The overhead walkway, which many people wrongly believe was a mono-rail, was part of a project initially designed via an architectural competition in August 2014.
The Paphos council has awarded the tender to contractor Miltiades Neophytou Civil Engineering Contractors & Developments Ltd, for a value of €2,022,000, plus VAT.
The works are underway and will be completed within eight months, the municipality said.
The walkway, which forms part of a project to integrate the archaeological sites in Paphos has been blighted with years of delays.
The municipality, after consultation and approval by Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos, undertook to complete the project, and re-announced the bids in order to do so, a spokesman said.
In December 2015, the tender for the project was announced by the department of public works (DPW) and in February 2016 a contract was signed with the successful bidder, GCC Ltd.
Construction got underway in October 2016, but was suspended in May 2018 due to serious problems in its progress. In January 2019, the DPW undertook the completion of the project through subcontractors but the work could not proceed productively, the spokesman said and was suspended again in February 2020.
Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos intervened and appealed to the minister that the municipality of Paphos should take over the assignment of the project and complete it.
Around 60 per cent of the work has been carried out so far.
