Harbour Construction Work

[jimgward]

OK, looking forward to Trev's Friday pictures and update on the promenade........

Jim W

[KG]

We're planning on making our first visit to Paphos in April but are having second thoughts because of the ongoing building work.

The work is running well ahead of schedule and instead of completion by May, the authorities are reporting that the bulk of it should be finished by mid March.

The work only affects about 500 metres of a coast and doesn't affect the harbour at all.

There are a number of hotels in Kato Paphos of which the Alexander the Great is popular and has already been mentioned and has some decent restaurants near by. This too is being refurbished at the moment, but will be re-open by March.

A little further out are the huge Athena Beach and its sister hotels and the brand new Aquamare, both within walking distance of the harbour, or, if you like walking, it's about an hour's walk along the beach to the airport along an unsurfaced path that is scheduled to be upgraded within the next two years - but not by April. At present it is an easy walk and almost completely deserted.

Go the other way out of town and you will find the Azia Beach and the Cynthiana (that someone else has recommended). These are a bus ride from the harbour (about 15 and 20 minutes respectively). Buses run every 20 minutes.

[trevnhil]

Well Hello All. Here I am back from my Friday trip to the harbour / Prom area.
It is still black on the floor..... and blue in the sky.... So.....




















So as you can see they are making progress steadily. They are putting the top coat of tarmac on, but still have no kerbs in, so maybe there are no kerbs going in . And no clue yet about the pavements????

Time will tell

As you can see a bright sunny day with people enjoying themselves and eating out.

Best wishes. Trev..

[Molly]

Great pictures Trev.

Molly

[kili1]

Trev,
Thanks for posting such a superb selection of photo's.
They are making really good progress with the work. Said on the local news the other night that the Mayor expects the work to be finished & the shops reopened in the middle of March-some 2 months ahead of schedule!

Dee

[jimgward]

Had a nice drink in that bar in July, the one with the brown sofas and table - although in July, we had to hide under the umbrellas...

The waiters/waitresses were really pleasant - all Eastern Europeans...

I dropped a mobile out my shorts onto the sofa and never noticed till later...

Went down the next day and they had about 8 mobile phones in a drawer under the till. Rang mine to prove it was mine and left them a hefty tip for a drink to reward their honesty... everyone (me and them) were well chuffed

Jim W

[gmmcmanus]

Thanks for the pics Trev. I really look forward to seeing the progress of the construction. We are coming over in 2 weeks and it's nice to see people enjoying the sun in t shirts. Makes me even more eager to get out there!

[phil]

just finished work so grabbed a chance to get an update!

looks like the work is progressing remakably well...

thanks to one and all for the hotel suggestions - will look them up.

re car hire - are there any suggestions on where to get this?

[trevnhil]

Hi Phil. There are two threads running today already about car hire.
Here is one of them... http://www.cyprusliving.org/phpbb/nfphp ... php?t=6986

Good luck. Trev..

[valerie swift]

Hi Trev
Thanks for the great pictures,it keeps those of us in the U.K. in touch with what is happening in Paphos, hope to be there soon to see for myself but in the meantime keep the piccy's coming. Val

[Derektee]

Yeah Trev you are doing a sterling job for all us UK based Paphosfiles, with all of your photographs, keep up the good work.

Do you think that the latest tarmacing is the final coat or do you think there will be a final layer of stone flagging or similar paving? Any clues on final layout i.e. no cars (no chance!), or cars and pedestrians sharing a paved esplanade or segregated pedestrian promenade on the seaward side/ and pavement on the shops frontage and bitmac road just like before, surely plans are available to view at local Planning Office, does anyone know, or care? I thought that there was talk of a man-made beach in front of where the old sea wall was, any sign of that happening?

Sorry too many questions!

[trevnhil]

Good morning Derek and everyone. I have not seen any plans at all so cannot say for sure what the finished job it likely to look like.
What I can see is that last Friday they were laying a topcoat of tarmac and it was up to the finished road at either end of the prom: (see pics)
Strangely though there have been no kerbs put in. It looks to me that the pavements may be level with the road, but I have no idea what the pavements are to be made of.
Re the beach... They are certainly placing tons and tons of rocks out there which is usually to take the power out of the waves. I have seem no sign of a sandy beach......yet.

Best wishes. Trev..

[KG]

A load of pallets have recently been delivered to the site, which contain cobbles from China, similar to those that rattle your teeth when you drive through Troodos square. Whether these are for the road surface or for the footpaths or both is anyone's guess. I suppose we will know soon enough.

[trevnhil]

Hi All. Time for the Friday afternoon update again. It was mentioned by Graham on Tuesday that loads of paving blocks had been delivered.... I think there must be a ship load. So it is still not clear if they are to go on top of the tarmac, or just for the pavements??

The first pic has my sandwich on a crate.






[/url

[url=http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1ooNlS]






Of course you all knw the last Pic.

Best wishes. Trev..

PS. Sorry about the hiccup in the middle

[tankard]

Thanks for the pictorial update.
And I thought I was the only one to have a coffee in there ha ha.

[wanderer]

Not me Trev, I must be a tourist , but it looks very nice.

Thanks for the updated photos.

Regards, David

[Minerva]

Sorry, Trev, been here 6 months but don't know your last picture - am I missing something?? Thanx for pics!
Ruth

[Denis_B]

I see what it's all about now.... Trev walks up the front in the sun then sits in Paps for his coffee and cake whilst the wife does all the Friday/weekly shopping

[wanderer]

Yep, I can picture it now, though never been in that side of the store.

[trevnhil]

Just to answer some queries. ..

Friday is "learn Greek time for my O H. So, I am let loose for a couple of hours. I usually call in to Papantonios Supermarket (last pic) Ruth
And get a LITTLE shopping and a roll for my Dinner. It's after this that I go "walkies" with my camera at the ready. I only have a limited time before picking up OH again.

There, all explained....

Cheers. Trev..

[Lesley Wakeling]

Thanks Trev I really do look forward to your updated pictures

nice and sunny again i see

did you enjoy your sandwich ??????????????

[yummymummy150]

thanks again Trev luv your Friday pics,alomost smell the bread in paps
oh well thats one week closer to my next vist.
Tricia

[discopants]

Yes thanks Trev. You're still looking fit. I take it you don't need Greek lessons as you've already conquered the language !
Gary

[trevnhil]

Yes I did enjoy my sandwich/roll. They're quite cheap too. Trouble is I keep forgetting where I put it to take the pictures. IN THE SUN
I even had to take my pullover off today. Which then shows that I am not as healthy / thin as my pic seems to say

Re the Greek language and me !!! errrr, in a word NO.

Cheers Trev..

[Ken]

Hi trev,
Thanks for being our eyes and ears on the harbour reconstruction work, like a lot of other members always look forward to the Friday update.
Keep up the good work on our behalf, it is appreciated

[Paph-taff]

Yeah, thanks Trev. It's more gripping than the average TV serial, just waiting for the next weekly episode to find out what's going on! Now I can't wait to see what the blocks look like. Oh yes, and Paps's snack lunches are excellent.

Ray

[KG]

The blocks are the same as those used in Troodos Square - They rattle your teeth when you drive over them and are not so comfortable to walk on either. They had not started laying them yesterday.

[frank]

Lets hope when it is all finished it uplifts the harbour. The pavements and like was starting to look very scruffy.Does it also mean there wil be traffic using the road?

frank

[trevnhil]

Hi Graham. I see what you mean about a rough surface. Great Pic, we must try to get up there this year.
Frank. Your question seems to be the million dollar one. No one seems to know....... I wonder if I can sneak into the site office next Friday. They will have some plans in there.......... won't they????

Regards. Trev..

[KG]

The development is not going as far as the harbour - at least not in this phase - and yes there will be traffic and probably cars parked everywhere. The plan was to make it one-way. It will be interesting to see if they can make that work

Trev
No need to sneak. Go and ask

[Derektee]

Excellent photos as usual Trev. My guess from the photos to date is that the granite cobbles will be used for edging features behind kerbs or at speed control bumps (sleeping policemen and or raised carriageway to level of footpaths at junctions etc.) These cobbles are too rough hewn for general paving in this area and too expensive for vast tracts to be used for the entire carriageway and footpaths. I know someting similar was used in Troodos but that fits with the stone buildings and olde worlde charm they were trying to create there. I think we will see a bitmac carriage way and paved footpaths either side with both being broken up with cobbled features. But thats just me pontificating of course. I remain hopeful that this will be a big improvement providing they ban the TS touts!

Keep the photos coming Trev.

[KG]

I don't know, but I suspect you are wrong about the blocks. They have stacked a serious amount of pallets each containing 800 blocks. There should be enough to surface the road as in Troodos.

The touts are much in evidence and are a new and even more irritating set than usual.

[trevnhil]

Derek. As Graham says....There are a serious number of blocks there, wagon after wagon load. Where ever they are going it will take awhile to lay them all. ad it is still puzzling that there are no kerbs in. Which seems to say that everything will be on one level.

I will TRY to do what Graham suggests. "go and ask"

Regards. Trev..

[KG]

Trev
I don't know if you were around when they laid the brick block road to the harbour or the old brick block surface to the harbour itself (long since washed into the sea and replaced with concrete ), but the work was done surprisingly quickly. This is a job that must play havoc with the knees. I don't envy the fellows who will be laying them

I noticed that there is a set of drawings in the site hut on the car park. If you can find one of the engineers to chat to, I am sure they would show you. There has never been anyone in the office when I have been down there, so have not yet seen them. In any case watching the work develop is a good conversation piece

If it doesn't rain this afternoon I may go and take another look at the work so far. I am particularly curious about the new building between the Porto Paphos and Annabel hotels; and that new construction, purported to be the replacement kiosk, near the harbour car park, is the most peculiar kiosk I have seen .

[trevnhil]

Morning Graham. No I never saw the blocks being laid at the entrance to the harbour. As you say, laying them will be hard on the knees. And you have seen how many blocks there are. As you say, the two new or replacement buildings are "Interesting".
Let us know if you find out anything.

Best wishes. Trev..

[frank]

Great update trev

keep them coming.

frank

[jimgward]

Having laid lots of Paving in driveways,... it is indeed VERY painful on the knees....

The way they have laid the tarmac first, 'should' make it easy and very quick to lay blocks on top, with minimal ballast underneath.... however, I hope their levels are perfect and that no subsidence occurs, otherwise any rain will flood the area with large puddles!

If it end up looking like Trodo, it will be great...

Thanks to Trev for his hard work!

Jim W

[Jim]

A couplel more shots today, and boy is it cold down there...glad to be back in the warm!!

19/2/08 9.15am

[Jim]

No kidding that shot was taken from the BOC steps...and that Dr Who box is a karsie

I felt sorry for the bank manager who was sitting there all on his own, he looked surprised when we walked in, he jumped to his feet with a huge smile on his face, and HE said the work would be finished in a month, I asked a Cyprus month or other mortals months..

The kiosk that they are building to replace the old one looks hideous to me..far right on one of the shots..

[Derektee]

See what you mean from Jim's latest pics about no kerbs and all one level, but manholes in middle of tarmac road have not been left high enough for another layer of bitmac or cobbling? I still think roads bitmaced at lower level then cobbled/ paved footpaths. Especially if one way system for traffic is correct. We shall see. Looking forward to seeing what it's like in March when I'm over.

[malsue]

Some 'info' regards chinese cobbles on LINTV last night. Chinese cobble layers coming from Beijing I'm not joking have a look at last nights broadcast :-
http://www.lintv.eu/index.html

[malsue]

McIngy That's correct, but won't be repairing clogs

Chinese Specialists

Paphos will get a taste of China this week when top specialists fly in from Beijing to begin works on Posedionos Avenue.

Chinese workmen have been contracted to lay the granite flooring in shops in Poseidonos Avenue as upgrading works continue. The specialists will also lay the pavements along the shop fronts.

The project manager obtained a special licence from the government to import the workers owing to their high technical skills in the area.

The first phase of works should be completed by May.

[trevnhil]

Good afternoon all. Sorry for the late appearance today. We have been without power for much of the morning.
Jim thanks for the pics. Obviously they show all one level at the moment. As we have all said. Time will tell what happens.
I wonder if the Cobble layers will look on C L to find a decent Chinese Takeaway??

Still cold. Trrrrrev..

[KEITH]

Trev try minus 8C that's cold and i am sick of it, still it's supposed to warm up later in the week which means one thing RAIN

KEITH

[trevnhil]

Hi Keith. Yes I have seen the UK forecasts, and they show it pretty cold. And yet some friend near Ingleton say they were in their garden in tee shirts yesterday. Its a strange old world.
How can it be Global Warming......if it's colder??

Best wishes. Trev..

[malsue]

Hi Jaqui,
Off topic I now, but I don't think you were in Bradford late 40's early 50's when Bradford beck overflowed which runs under the road, or did and the road near town hall was laid with WOOD 'bricks' and it all floated away during a summer flood

[malsue]

Hi Jaqui,
I was brought "dragged" up round Low Moor (changed alot now) Buttershaw (top of Cemetry Rd) and Wibey then Low moor again until I left when called up for National Service in 56 and eventually did 22 Years in RAF. (Iknow off topic again sorry)

[Aberdeen Loon]

Unsure of my way around. Hi from Calgary Canada and originally Aberdeen Scotland. Construction woes seem to strike all over.


Calgary then,







And now.

[Paph-taff]

Welcome A-Loon. That second photo looks like Lower Peyia !!!

Ray

[sandra d]

Thanks for update and pics,like tricia keeps us going,defo come on since Jan.when we were there,1 more quick ? how many miles is it fron Chlorakas to Kato.
cheers Sandra.