Road traffic Chaos in the Old Town this morning and the new Markideon

[Kili01]

[media][/media]Hi All,
After months of traffic disruption in and around the'old town, I was travelling on the road from Cloraka at about 10.15 today. I got on to the strech of road after the traffic lights past the Time Out kiosk. All of a sudden the road(the only one) which is now open suddenly had a dreaded diversion sign.I duly turned left past the side of the Bus Terminal car park, then tried to go right at the end, down to the old town. I came out on an enlarged square, previously a smaller round a bout style. Now of course road is too narrow and it is one way.
No right turn! So I turned left in a very slow moving queue of vehicles and went past the New Markideon Theatre building. Has anyone seen it? It's near completion at last.Wish I could say it looked attractive, but it is now 2 adjacent building shapes, both squarish. One is taller and thinner, the other is longer than it is high. One has strangish brown cladding, no windows, the other is white, large glass windows part covered with a strange looking metal grid shaped bars.But although nearly finished, I couldn't see any architectural merit. The words 'ugly and nondescript' came to mind! I felt so disappointed as it was not what I was expecting in terms of kerb appeal! What do you think of it?
At the end of the road, of course I was unable to turn right due to the new road layout and the queues of trafic waiting in single file for the lights to change.
So,I gave up trying to reach the old post office down near the Agapinor hotel which was my reason for going there!
Frustration and wasted time! Grrh!
Dee

[tonee]

Hi
I think they have missed a trick somewhere on the lights up by the old police station,perhaps a roundabout?The traffic around there, up and down to those lights can be very heavy,all that money spent and no change really on alleviating the congestion there.Shame really.

[Lofos-Jan]

I've had a sneaky peek of the Markidion interior and it's looking fabulous!

Jeanne

[Kili01]

I quite agree with you Tonee. The new layout of the old town roads, making most into single lanes has done little to improve through traffic flow in the town. Maybe there is now too much unused space on the over wide pavements? Maybe your idea of a roundabout instead of traffic lights near the old Police Station would have helped. But much of the space is taken up by very wide pavements and the new water feature, attractive though it is.
Dee

[Anarita John]

We came down Polis Road from Costas tyres on Tuesday and then through the old town passed Kennedy Square. It took us ages and we will avoid that route again. The problem, as already stated, is where there previously was two lanes is now one lane. Also, the two sets of lights were totally working against each other and creating a logjam of traffic.
However, new theatre looks good, they were finishing off in the foyer. We will definitely visit the old town and have a walk around. Our last visit was this time last year, when we walked through streets of dirt and dust and in March, when we visited Marks and Sparks and had to walk up a plank to get into the shop.

[Kili01]

You will see a great improvement in the streets of the old town then, John! I also remember how Makarios Ave looked when it was being worked on! Deep trenches, iron rods sticking up from the ground, piles of building materials and yes, walking up planks into the shops! Now they are all tastefully tiled in shades of grey and white. The new trees which were planted before the summer in all the main pedestrianised streets are growing well. There are some new shops too and loads of coffee bars!. The market is still unfinished though parts of it are open.
However, I think that it is modern but a bit bland. You could be anywhere as there is little attempt at making it look either Greek or Cypriot in design. Also there are no shop signs, apparently the mayor doesn't like them, or so I was told.

Dee

[PolemIan]

I found myself in a queue waiting to turn right down the hill at Kennedy Square and getting a bit irritated. Then I realised it was al of about 6 minutes and figure unless I'm lying in the back of an ambulance, a few mins like that really isnt worth it, though I do agree I don't think the phasing of the lights is quite right. An easy way to avoid being trapped by the traffic waiting to turn right is to nip though the new car park which then brings you out opposite 28 October Square further along Makarios Avenu. I'll confess my ignorance about the existence of the theatre, but I think it looks quite smart and somewhere I'd like to visit at some point. Ian

[trevnhil]

It does seem strange though Ian that where you talk about is only one lane until you get nearer the lights. There was plenty of room to make two lane all the way through there..

[trevnhil]

I would have expected the lanes to be marked, straight ahead, or turn right.

[Anarita John]

Just wonder how many drivers take notice of lane markers. On the roundabouts here, particularly the new ones on the new airport road and those by the hotels near the Luna Park,the right hand lane is marked as straight on. We have had quite a few near misses with me driving in the right hand lane and someone using the left hand lane to go straight ahead, especially at the roundabout by the Aqua Mare Hotel where it is single lane after the roundabout.

[josef k]

I like the new look old town. I had a walk around last weekends and loved the new murals that have sprung up down the side-streets. I also like the theatre, the fountain, and the wide pavements etc. I am also pleased to see "cafe culture" springing up everywhere. Go have a look around late evening.
By the way, the Post Office is closed at the moment. Alternatives are the one near the hospital, the one in Kato Paphos, Tala and Peyia.

[Kili01]

Josef,
If you are talking about the old Post Office near the market- Yes, it's usual 'home' is currently closed for renovation of the building, inside and out. Put the Old PO is presently situated in the building right next to the Agapinor Hotel which is further down the same road. It's on the RHS just after the end of the current road works. But as of the last 2 days the only way you can reach it is from the hill by the Old Police Station end...
Dee

[PolemIan]

I know what you mean Trevor, I think th width has been lost at the point due to wider pavements and the little central reservation. Ian

[mike strand2]

I attended the opening event at the old Othello cinema, now renamed ATTICON, on Monday. The outside space has been linked through to the Palia Electrica, complete with an outdoor cinema space. Apart from what I can only presume is a temporary (unfinished area), the Atticon doesn't have toilets!

I have only seen the exterior of the new Markideon and was well impressed.

The single traffic lane at Kennedy Square is a definite error in my view, as was the reintroduction of traffic lights at the Gladstonios junction.

[Kili01]

This morning there was total chaos on the Mesogi/ Elliados Rd part of the road we all call the Polis Rd. Does that makes sense?
I was trying to get down to a place in Kato Paphos in Bar Street area at 12.30 today.
What I didn't know was that traffic from the only other (one way) road from Chloraka was still being diverted within the old town,so all traffic from there was forced into joining the already v busy Ellados Rd, which is already too narrow.The result was a monumental traffic jam!
When I eventually got to the traffic lights before the EKO petrol station, I saw that 2 contruction machines were apparently moving and depositing soil in the central reservation immediately ahead. So all traffic was diverted towards the law courts! The road ahead was thus reduced to being one way! There were as usual no warning signs or attempts to divert traffic earlier away from this area.

Why oh why, couldn't Pafos contractors either put up diversion signs, or phase work so that non essential tasks like shifting soil be done at a time when the road is likely to be quiet!!
As it was the situation appeared so fraught that a police man was jumping up and down on the road ahead blowing his whistle!!

It would have been funny to watch, but I was late getting to an appointment.

Dee

[trevnhil]

It really is ridiculous at times.. It is sometimes easier for us going from Polemi to the harbour area to go via the motorway roundabout and past Debenhams and down the the 'Pointer'.
A long way round but much quicker, and easier..

[Kili01]

Hi Trev,
That is one way to go, but I have devised a much quicker tho' more complicated way of getting from the Polis Rd using minor back streets which amazingly, very few others seem to use which get me down to the Mall area relatively quickly.. Most people seem content to sit in the long queues and tailbacks through the town.
I will probably use this route while the other through road is closed, goodness knows for how long!
But in the end I think that queues of traffic at all the peak periods will continue to be a problem which the splendid idea to convert Paphos to the city of culture and to cafe culture with over wide pavements and narrower roads, retaining traffic lights by the old Police Stiation, may prove to have been a mistake when its all over, as far as ordinary citizens trying to get from A to B may find out!
Dee

[trevnhil]

Dee.... You missed out the instructions for the 'quiet route' ha ha

[Kili01]

No point in advertising it is there!!

[trevnhil]

LIKE..