How do I get to Lefkosa

[sophie]

I have never seen such utter chaos at the Spaghetti Junction roundabout t(as locals call it) as we did yesterday. As a result the tail back went way past the Bellapaise cross roads one way and Colony Hotel the other. The actual roundabout was at total gridlock up towards Lefkosa, as far as the eye could see. Bearing this in mind and the fact there is also chaos on the mountain road, can anyone advise me the best way to keep appointments with eye specialist in Lefkosa. Should I allow two hours extra travelling time, or ask if I can have an 8am appointment or would it be better to go via Guzeliyet and Gonyeli. Specialist is near the Merit Hotel in Lefkosa.

[frontalman]

Apparently you are just supposed to accept it as one of the quirky things of living here. Hey, this is Cyprus!

We are lucky to live in Karsiyaka, so it is quicker for us anyway to take the back road past Camlibel. The mileage is the same but no traffic. Correction, the mileage was the same before they built the bypass. Not sure now as I haven't measured it, but it is far quicker time-wise.

[paul90]

That's right Mark - just 30 minutes from Karsiyaka to the Merit Hotel.

[trueblue]

Thanks, frontalman. We are living in Lapta, but even from here this appears to be much a much better way to go to Lefkosa at present.

[sophie]

Thanks everyone. You have confirmed what I suspected and its a bit of a faff when you live on the Alsancak/Karaoglanoglu border but still better that what I witnessed yesterday - totally unbelievable. Heaven only knows what those poor souls do when trying to get to work.

[waddo]

sophie, went this morning and no real problems at all. Police on the main roundabout actually controlling the traffic and giving drivers stick if they did not obey the signals! Guess they have a good grip of it for now. Give yourself an extra 30 min's and you should be ok. Catalkoy to Alfa Mega took me 52 mins which is around par for the course anyway.

[frontalman]

When we stayed at the Almond Village in Alsancak in 2004, Ali always went the back way to Ercan (the way I described previously), even late at night. He obviously thinks the extra mileage still makes for an easier journey, and it wasn't a dual carriageway then.

[laptatony]

At a loss why you just did not go on the bypass, I have done it a few times while the road works are there, only slightly slow if a large vehicle going up the hill.

[sophie]

Laptatony, if you are referring to the dual carriage by-passing Karaoglanoglu, we did that, however, as the roundabout was total gridlock, we were completely unable to approach it, in order to turn up towards Lefkosia. No-one moved North, South, East or West and no police to be seen at all Glad to hear they are now putting in an appearance.

[pc4854]

the police were not there yesterday afternoon when I went past there and the town was gridlocked in most directions.

[tomsteel]

the police were not there yesterday afternoon when I went past there and the town was gridlocked in most directions.

Why would the TRNC have a Traffic Police Department deployed to a major road works system repair? I wonder why the Girne Baskani has not requested help? Hey ho, 'tis Cyprus my friend', with the familiar shoulder shrug.

[frontalman]

Too many foreigners here in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I'm not racist - I hate everybody.

[waddo]

Traffic Police Department currently gridlocked in twelve separate coffee shops, as all of them are in Nicosia it is very difficult for them to get to the traffic jams and help out, because of the traffic jams. In any case tomorrow is Friday and there is always a need to trap speeding on the roads with craftily placed hand held speed cameras on a Friday - get your points up for the whole week - so they will be out and about again but nowhere near any traffic jams. It's a bit like the UK in the 60's and 70's this and reminds me of the "Good old days" when everything went according to plan. Right now the plan is "Fix the roads", there is no other plan available as this years plan has been used so just find your own way around the traffic. And it is not even tourist time yet.......