"We ask for the final budget for the projects at the Deryneia-Lefkas roadblocks"

Last week, the Republic of Cyprus formally requested from the Commission the release of the necessary amount from the relevant European fund for the securing, in a bi-communal consortium, of the last works at the Deryneia and Lefka / Apliki roadblocks.

According to information from the newspaper "Politis", this is a development of the last few days, with the Republic of Cyprus asking the Commission to allocate the amount that has not yet been used from the budget for the two roadblocks, so that the work can proceed in dead zone. Once the request is approved by the Commission, the United Nations will be able to announce the relevant bids. The procedure to be followed, that of assigning the works in the dead zone to a bi-communal consortium, is the same that had been used in the past for the opening of the roadblock in Limnitis.

However, community sources told the newspaper "Politis" last week that what is needed is a specific and detailed request for the amounts that will be needed to carry out the work. It should also be clarified whether the remaining amounts in the line already approved are sufficient or whether a new decision of the European Commission will be needed, which could further delay the process.

Specifically, at the end of 2015, a budget of 2,1 million euros was approved (at the request of the United Nations on behalf of the competent bi-communal technical committee) for both roadblocks, with most of this money already used. It is estimated that there are about 200.000 euros left over.

Low cost

According to the newspaper, the works in the dead zone will not cost more than the fund that remains unused. The cost is estimated by the e / k side at 100 to 150 thousand euros.

At the moment, the works on both sides of the Deryneia roadblock are almost completed. In Lefka, the road upgrade on the occupied side is almost complete, while the Public Works of the Republic of Cyprus have recently secured and signed the contracts for the road upgrade in the free areas.

What remains is the upgrading, asphalting and widening of the road between the two checkpoints within the dead zone, a distance of about 100 meters in Deryneia and half a kilometer in a semi-mountainous area in Lefka.

Source: CITIZEN