Road Development

Rs. 19,000 million has been allocated for the development of roads in 2005. This has increased to Rs. 75,126 million in 2009. This is four-fold increase, over 2005. The total expenditure was Rs. 189,499 mn. for the development of roads during the period from 2005 to 2009. The construction work on the Southern expressway as a four lane facility is being continued with the total cost of Rs. 59.5 billion. At present Rs. 37.5 billion has been spent on the construction. The expressway will be opened to the public in 2010. Rehabilitation of 207 km of national roads in Ampara, Badulla, Monaragala and Hambantota districts were completed at a cost of Rs. 2,889 million. 278 km of national roads were rehabilitated under the Road Sector Assistant Project at a cost of Rs. 8,800 million. The construction of the Ramboda tunnel was completed and opened to traffic at a cost of Rs. 207 million. The length of the tunnel is 220 metres. The road section from Katukurunda to Matara on the Colombo- Matara road has been rehabilitated spending Rs. 2,330 million. The length of the road was 115 km. 55 km of the road section on the Balangoda- Bandarawela road has been rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 5,084 milion. 16 km of the Habarana- Kantale road section (44 km) of the Ambepussa- Trincomalee road was completed at a cost of Rs. 838 million. In addition the rehabilitation work on Nuwara Eliya – Badulla, Kandy – Mahiyangana, Puttalam – Anuradhapura roads is being undertaken. Widenning of the Padeniya-Anuradhapura road (81 km) by 2-lanes and a cycle lane commenced in July 2009. The total estimated cost will be Rs. 5,720 million.

Construction work on the outer circular highway (28km) connecting the Colombo – Matara, Colombo-Katunayake and Colombo-Kandy expressways is being undertaken. The construction work on 25 km of the Colombo-Katunayaka expressway is being done at a total cost of Rs. 32,120 million. Rs. 7,948 million has been allocated for the rehabilitation of Tsunami affected roads in 2008. Rs. 798 million has been spent on the reconstruction of 250 km of flood affected roads. Rehabilitation work on 32 km of the Dambulla- Bakamuna-Kalagahawela road was completed at a cost of Rs. 1,065 milion. 42 km of roads in the conflict affected areas of the Northern and Eastern provinces have been rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 1,564 million.

The preliminary construction work on the outer circular road in Trincomalee connecting all main roads leading into Trincomaleee has commenced at a cost of Rs. 12,000 million The length of the road is 67 km.

Rehabilitation work on the national roads in the Northern Province has commenced at a cost of Rs.123 billion. 1,107 km of provincial roads have been rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 15,267 million in the Western, North-Western, North-Central, Uva, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces. 7,817 km of rural roads have been completed, investing Rs. 10,536 million under the ‘Maga Neguma’ programme. Out of which 2,385 km of roads were of concrete. 2,886 km of roads have been rehabilitated under the re-awakening, NECORD and TARRP projects in the North and East areas. In addition 17 bridges have been reconstructed under these projects, at a cost of Rs. 5,596 million. Construction work has been planned on the Anuradhapura- Jaffna (A9), Puttalam-Mannar-Nawathkuli (A32) roads.

The construction of the 302 metre long Manampitiya Bridge with a 2-lane facility at a cost of Rs. 1,278 mn. over the Mahaweli river, 160 metre long Arugam bay bridge in the Ampara district at a cost of Rs. 1,400 mn. , the Bentota bridge of a length of 175 metres, which consists of two parts, over the Bentara river, the Katugastota Bridge at Kandy at a cost of Rs. 706 mn. with a length of 130 metres., the Tangalle bridge at a cost of Rs, 66 mn. and the Kinniya bridge at Trincomalee, 396 metres in length, which is currently the longest bridge in Sri Lanka, at a cost of Rs. 789 mn. was successfully completed and they were opened to the public.

The eight bridges at Akurala, Seenigama, Magalle, Gowiyapana, Weligama, Komari, Periyakalar and Kallady have been reconstructed under the Tsunami Affected Road Rehabilitation Project. The Construction work on the Mannar bridge, connecting the main island and Thalaimannar island continues. The length of the bridge is 290 meters, it will be completed in January 2010, and the total estimated cost of the bridge is Rs. 2,460 mn.

The construction of nine steel bridges in Trincomalee, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Hambantota and Kurunegala districts at a cost Rs. 238 mn has been completed. under the Steel Bridge Project. 70 bridges have been rehabilitated under the Provincial Road Development Projects in Western, North Western, Uva, North Central, Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. The three flyovers at Nugegoda, Kelaniya and Dehiwela, at a cost of Rs. 1,067 mn were constructed. under the Steel Bridge Project. The Kelaniya flyover is 325 meters and with 4 lanes, the Dehiwala flyover is 340 meters and the Nugegoda flyover is 261 meters and with 2 lanes. Construction of concrete flyovers at Orugodawatta, Gampaha and Pannipitiya is going on and as a solution for the heavy traffic in the Colombo metropolitan area and suburbs, it is expected to build flyovers at Veyangoda, Kohuwala, Kirullapone and Borella-Kanatte junction.