The Nicosia Ring Road project is facing extended delays after the contractor, CYFIELD CONSTRUCTION LTD, submitted a request for a 6,363-day extension, or roughly 17.5 years, Phileleftheros reported on Wednesday.
This would push the project’s completion date from the initial March 2023 target to 2040, a significant setback.
The request surprised the Central Committee on Changes and Claims (CCC) reviewing extension requests for Phase A of the project. Launched in July 2020, the project was initially expected to be finished within 36 months. The €60.7 million contract (excluding VAT) includes a €5,500 daily penalty for unjustified delays.
CYFIELD CONSTRUCTION LTD owner Kyriacos Chrysochos disputed the accuracy of the extension request, according to Phileleftheros. Chrysochos reportedly dismissed the information as ‘baseless’ and attributed it to ‘ulterior motives’.
He assured the public that the project was on schedule and progressing similarly to comparable ventures abroad.
However, a memo from the CCC revealed a different story. The project engineer granted a 60-day pandemic-related extension in April 2023, revising the deadline to May 2023. The contractor subsequently submitted numerous requests for time extensions totalling 6,363 days. These requests cited various reasons for delays, including:
- 606 days for the omission of site production details
- 376 days for delays in site handover
- 534 days for site handover delays and lack of instructions
- 606 days for lack of instructions on a specific plot
- 350 days for delays in relocating power lines
- 157 days for stormwater drainage issues
- 561 days for site handover delays in Tseriou
- 184 days for delays in approving the sound barrier study
Recognising the unreasonableness of the requested extension, the CCC recommended a more modest two-month extension until July 2023, with no compensation for the contractor. The CCCC then took over, granting extensions until March and June 2024.
As of today, the contractor anticipates completing the project by early autumn 2024.
Daily penalties of €5,500 will be imposed for any further delays deemed unjustified starting from June 16.
