The European Union has signed two construction contracts worth almost €435,000 to widen and modernise the Agios Dometios/Metehan crossing—the busiest checkpoint linking the Republic-controlled south with the Turkish-Cypriot north. UN Development Programme crews began night-time excavations on 4 December and will keep heavy equipment parked inside the UN buffer zone to avoid daytime gridlock.
Engineers will repave the vehicle deck, add a sheltered pedestrian corridor, install high-intensity LED lighting and lay conduit for smart sensors that will stream live queue-length data to a public website. For the 12,000 cross-border commuters who use the post daily—many of them hospitality and construction workers—the upgrade is expected to cut Monday-morning waits from 45 to about 20 minutes.
For travellers wondering which documents or entry permits they might need once the revamped checkpoint opens, VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance and application support. Its Cyprus hub (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) compiles the latest requirements from both the Republic and the north, helping commuters and tourists secure the right paperwork quickly and avoid surprises at the border.
![EU Funds €435 k Upgrade of Agios Dometios Checkpoint to Halve Green-Line Waits]()
The project is financed under the EU Aid Programme for the Turkish-Cypriot community, part of Brussels’ strategy to foster economic integration and person-to-person contact pending a political settlement. Employers plan to integrate the new queue-data API into HR apps so start times can be staggered, reducing payroll waste and supply-chain delays.
Tour operators also see benefits: self-drive holiday-makers will soon be able to choose the least congested crossing in real time and download document-check lists before heading north. Two 48-hour closures are scheduled for early January when resurfacing will reduce lanes; HR teams are urging staff to carry residence cards and proof of employment during that period.
Once complete, officials hope the facelift will serve as a tangible confidence-building measure showing how pragmatic mobility projects can deliver quick wins even while peace talks remain stalled.
Engineers will repave the vehicle deck, add a sheltered pedestrian corridor, install high-intensity LED lighting and lay conduit for smart sensors that will stream live queue-length data to a public website. For the 12,000 cross-border commuters who use the post daily—many of them hospitality and construction workers—the upgrade is expected to cut Monday-morning waits from 45 to about 20 minutes.
For travellers wondering which documents or entry permits they might need once the revamped checkpoint opens, VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance and application support. Its Cyprus hub (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) compiles the latest requirements from both the Republic and the north, helping commuters and tourists secure the right paperwork quickly and avoid surprises at the border.
The project is financed under the EU Aid Programme for the Turkish-Cypriot community, part of Brussels’ strategy to foster economic integration and person-to-person contact pending a political settlement. Employers plan to integrate the new queue-data API into HR apps so start times can be staggered, reducing payroll waste and supply-chain delays.
Tour operators also see benefits: self-drive holiday-makers will soon be able to choose the least congested crossing in real time and download document-check lists before heading north. Two 48-hour closures are scheduled for early January when resurfacing will reduce lanes; HR teams are urging staff to carry residence cards and proof of employment during that period.
Once complete, officials hope the facelift will serve as a tangible confidence-building measure showing how pragmatic mobility projects can deliver quick wins even while peace talks remain stalled.
