The Ministry of Transport has decided to go ahead and open up 20 emergency access points on the Nicosia-Limassol highway to allow traffic to cross into the opposite direction in the event of an emergency incident.
The 20 “emergency access points” will be opened up in the crash barriers along the central reservation strip, without affecting safety parameters.
The Public Works Department is expected to invite bids for the project in the upcoming weeks.
The emergency access points will allow access in the opposite directions for emergency services or when traffic bypasses are required for maintenance and other traffic needs.
These 20 emergency access points must have a total length of 50 metres and must ensure a minimum clear opening of 30 metres at the same time. The opening must be able to manage traffic in emergency situations.
According to philenews a basic requirement for these access points are the material from which they will be manufactured in order to have the same safety features as the central reservation strip currently on the motorway.
This is to ensure that it has the same impact strength in the event of a collision. Furthermore alterations will be made to the space in-between the two traffic directions so that there are no elevation differences on both sides of the highway.
Finally 20 employees of the Department of Public Works, Police, Fire Services and Ambulance will be trained in order to manage these 20 access points. The training will take place during public service hours.
