On Thursday, July 23, 2026, a truck carrying a large volume of gravel overturned on the Nicosia-Limassol highway near the Dali industrial area at approximately 4:30 p.m. The vehicle struck the metal central barrier, crossed into the opposite lanes, and scattered debris across both sides of the motorway, causing a total closure of the road that lasted over seven hours. The driver of the truck, who was traveling from Limassol toward Nicosia, sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Emergency services launched an extensive recovery operation involving two cranes to remove the wreckage and cleanup crews to clear the gravel. During the incident, traffic was diverted to the old Nicosia-Limassol road through the new Nicosia ring road and the Pera Chorio-Nisou interchange. The lane toward Nicosia reopened around 8:50 p.m., while the entire highway was fully restored to traffic around midnight.

The prolonged closure resulted in severe traffic congestion and criticism from the public regarding the management of such incidents. Authorities defended their response, citing the complexity of clearing a heavy vehicle, while local police officials noted that they follow established protocols designed to prioritize human safety during large-scale accidents.