Luxuries of several express ways and road networks are still only in the foundational stages for the majority of the country owing to the previous government’s lack of dynamism and enthusiasm, official sources claimed.
Plans have been published for several new expressways: a second extension to the Southern Expressway Project (ESEP), the Central Expressway Project (CEP) with access to Kandy and Dumbulla, and the under-review Ruwanpura Expressway Project (no acronym!).
Further expressway developments to Jaffna, Trincomalee , and other important cities cannot even be conceived until these three projects are completed, road development authority official said. .
The new government has given a new impetus to revive the Economy from 2020-2025 giving priority to infrastructure development activities
These include a new elliptical expressway parallel to the coast at a distance of about 40-50 km from it around Sri Lanka a new expressway to provide easy access to both coastal belt and hinterland and a single expressway from Medawachchiya to Kilinochchi .
Plans have been drawn for construction of a highway network covering the whole island under this initiative, he added,
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Implementation of construction activities of Kadawatha – Meerigama, Meerigama – Kurunegala, Pothuhera – Galagedara and Kurunegala – Dambulla under the Central Expressway Construction Project as Phase 04 wlll be resumed with immediate effect.
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Implementation of construction activities of Ruwanpura expressway project Kahathuduwa – Ingiriya, Ingiriya – Rathnapura and Rathnapura – Pelmadulla in 03 stages will be expedited. .
Implementation of construction activities of Eastern expressway project from Mattala Airport to Pothuwil across Wellawaya and Siyambalanduwa is also on the cards.
Therefore, measures will be taken to find finance / funding required for the central expressway project and for obtaining a proposal for Phase I of Ruwanpura expressway – phase I from M/s CNTIC establishment, for calling statements of consent on competitive basis for construction of phase II of the same project, conducting feasibility studies for eastern expressway project as well as finding allocations for the construction work too via the Department of External Resources.
(LI)