The government and the contractor are at loggerheads over who is responsible for the collapse of the first phase of the Paphos-Polis motorway project, even before the contract termination letter was formally delivered.
The government is placing full blame on the contractor whilst trying to reassure Paphos stakeholders, particularly those from the Polis Chrysochous area who have awaited the project since 1997, that it exhausted all possibilities to avoid the project’s failure.
The contractor, meanwhile, is expected to pursue compensation claims, with the matter likely heading to court.
Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades rushed to Polis Chrysochous yesterday to calm local officials, promising the project would be completed within three years – a timeline industry experts consider unrealistic given standard procurement procedures.
Vafeades acknowledged that “costs will inevitably increase” but added that “the state can claim compensation from the contractor if they are found responsible for this situation”.
The dispute centres on several technical issues, including the suitability of embankment materials, adequacy of quarry materials, and availability of excavation disposal sites.
With less than 30% of works completed near the scheduled delivery date, the contractor had requested a five-year extension and an additional €36 million.
The ministry claims some excavation materials were unsuitable for use, whilst the contractor maintains they were appropriate and has taken legal action over the dispute.
The ministry says it assured the contractor that if the court rules against the ministry, it would treat the removal and replacement of materials as additional paid work.
The contractor alleges the ministry misinterpreted contract terms, leading to the rejection of construction materials and resulting in significant technical, financial, temporal and environmental consequences.
Regarding the disposal of approximately 3.8 million cubic metres of excavation materials, the government maintains adequate sites were identified, while the contractor claims local residents prevented disposal at one site and the ministry delayed land appropriation for others.
The minister was adamant yesterday that responsibility for the new failure lies with the contractor, stating that “when only one party tries to overcome problems while the other looks only to their own interests, the outcome is predictable”.
The Transport Ministry insists the project will be completed, albeit through a new procurement process.
Plans for the next phase will proceed, with works now starting from Polis Chrysochous towards Stroumpi, rather than the reverse as originally planned.
