Last stretch of Southern Highway:

Construction begins shortly

Irangika RANGE

The Government will shortly commence construction work on the last stretch of the Southern Highway linking Galle and Matara. The project funded by the Chinese Government will cost US$ 160 million.

Road Development Authority Chairman R.W.R..Premasiri told the Daily News that plans are afoot to commence the construction work of the last stretch of the highway from Pinnaduwa (Galle) to Godagama (Matara) which is expected to boost GDP growth to 10 percent in the South.

The length of the stretch is 30 kilometres which will be expanded to four lanes linking the South with Colombo. He said the feasibility study has already been completed. Therefore, the construction work is due to start shortly.

The total length of the Southern highway is 126km and will link Colombo with Matara which has suffered decades of neglect.

The project is scheduled to be completed by 2010. The estimated cost of the project is Rs.70,000 million.

The first phase of construction is underway from Kottawa to Dodangoda (34.3km). The second phase of the construction is from Dodangoda to Kurundugahahetekma (31.7km). The third section from Kurundugahahetekma to Pinnaduwa (30km) is under construction.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan Business Corporation (JBIC) have funded the three phases. In addition, there are 11 access points to enter the Southern Highway. Therefore, these access points such as Kottawa, Kahathuduwa, Galanigama, Dodangoda, Lewwanduwa, Kurundugahahetekma, Beddegama, Pinnaduwa, Deegoda, Kokmaduwa and Godagama will be developed as modern townships with this project. The project would greatly reduce travel time and promote easier movement to and from the Southern areas to Colombo, which should increase economic activity.

The new highway will also reduce the travel time from four hours to one and a half hours, thus boosting economic activity and the regeneration of the South

“Fisher folk, farmers and horticulturists in the South will be able to transport their produce to Colombo in a few hours. Investors will be more interested to set up factories in the South creating more job opportunities.

Tourists will be able to travel to the Southern coast without much hassel will result in a tourism boom.

Meanwhile, people who lost their properties due to construction of the highway have been provided with maximum compensation.

Accordingly, the ADB has provided compensation amounting to Rs.1.9 million while the JBIC has compensated with Rs.2.5 million to 17,501 people and their plot of lands consisting 32,758.76 hectares.