Monday May 18, 2026
Monday May 18, 2026
Friday, 8 May 2026 04:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government has revealed plans to extend Marine Drive up to Moratuwa alongside the ongoing Port Access Road project as part of a broader strategy to improve expressway connectivity into Colombo and manage future traffic congestion.
Transport and Highways Minister Bimal Rathnayake said the expressway network would be linked into the city through the Port Access Road near Galle Face and the Lotus Roundabout.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, the Minister said the Government had provided all necessary facilities for the Port Access Road project, although the contractor had delayed implementation citing various reasons.
He said issues had been identified in the initial project plans, while studies on access points and land acquisition were already underway.
According to Rathnayake, the contractor had informed authorities that the Port Access Road entrance could be completed by August 2026. He added that the section linking the Port Access Road to the Galle Face–Lotus Roundabout area had been assigned to another contractor, with work expected to be completed by mid-2027.
The Minister said a feasibility study would be conducted on the impact of increased vehicle inflows into Colombo once the Port Access Road is connected to the Galle Face–Lotus Roundabout corridor.
He added that the planned extension of Marine Drive up to Moratuwa was intended to ease congestion arising from the increased traffic flow into the city.
