Sixty percent of Colombo-Katunayake Expressway complete
Irangika RANGE
Sixty percent of work on the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway has been
completed. The rest of the work is progressing at a rapid pace, Ports
and Highways Deputy Minister Nirmala Kotelawala said
"This will create a high mobility link between Colombo and the
Bandaranaike International Airport enabling motorists to travel to the
airport in 20 minutes," Kotelawala said.
He said work is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The
Expressway will be commissioned during the first quarter of 2013.
The length of the Expressway will be around 25.3 kilometres starting
from the New Kelani Bridge and ending at the Airport Access Road at
Katunayake.
The Expressway will have four to six lanes with the width ranging
from 26 metres to 33.5 metres.
The total estimated cost of the project is US $ 292 million. Exim
Bank of China is funding US$ 248. 2 of the total cost. The government
has spent US $ 45 million on the project.
The deputy minister said the development of the country's road
network is instrumental in accelerating development programmes.
"The commencement of the construction of this long awaited project
will provide a number of benefits to the people. Among them are
promoting outward migration of public from Colombo, improving user
benefits to the rapidly expanding transport traffic and improving
mobility needs of the industrial development areas in the vicinity and
the associated container traffic," the deputy minister said.
"We have basically targeted to reduce prevailing high traffic
congestion on the A3 road (Peliyagoda-Puttalama road)," he said.
"The Expressway will have 42 bridges and 100 culverts to ensure the
smooth flow of traffic. We have completed the construction of 30 bridges
and 87 culverts," he said.
A flyover, 480 metres long, is being erected in Hunupitiya. An 800
metre flyover will also be built from the Katunayake junction to the
airport. There are five interchange, the deputy minister said.
The project is implemented by Metallurgical China Group Corporation.
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