Monday Nov 17, 2025
Monday Nov 17, 2025
Wednesday, 24 September 2025 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa
Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday said two major road development projects worth more than Rs. 2.4 billion have been approved, drawing on external financing and Government allocations.
He said Sri Lanka had secured a $ 40 million loan from the OPEC Fund to improve the Rakwana–Suriyakanda section of the Galle–Deniyaya–Madampe road.
Of this loan, Rs. 1 billion remains unutilised.
On Monday the Cabinet cleared the use of this balance, together with domestic funds, to upgrade a 9.62 km section of the Ambilipitiya–Panamura–Buluthota (B115) road from Kolonna to Suriyakanda, Dr. Jayatissa said.
The Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Ministry will implement the project in phases, with the remaining financial requirement to be met by the Treasury. The road provides access to key tourist sites such as the Sinharaja Forest, Maduwanwela Walawwa, Waulpane caves, Gongala, Hadapanagala, Buluthota waterfalls, and Himidiri Plains, and the upgrade is expected to improve connectivity and support the regional tourism economy.
The Ambilipitiya–Panamura–Buluthota project will be implemented in two stages, drawing on the OPEC loan balance first, followed by Treasury funding to close the gap.
On the expressway network, Dr. Jayatissa said the Cabinet had also approved the renovation of a 19 km stretch of the Southern Expressway between Kottawa and Dodangoda.
The expressway opened in 2011 has not undergone major repairs in more than a decade.
The Government has identified the rehabilitation of the first 34 km of the expressway as a priority, dividing the work into two phases: 0–19 km and 19–34 km.
The first phase covering the first 19 km stretch has been put out to tender, with five bids submitted under national competitive bidding.
On the recommendation of the Bid Evaluation Committee and the Highest Level Standing Procurement Committee, Cabinet approved awarding the Rs. 1.5 billion contract to Access-WKK Joint Venture, the lowest responsive bidder.
The expressway renovation is expected to begin once contractual formalities are completed, with work carried out in phases to minimise traffic disruption.
Together, the two projects represent an investment of about Rs. 2.5 billion in road and expressway infrastructure, with the Government emphasising both connectivity improvements and maintenance of critical transport corridors as priorities.
