WORK ON CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY'S HALTED SECTION RESTARTS TODAY

Work on the Kadawatha to Mirigama section of the Central Expressway project is being officially relaunched today (17) under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The ceremony is taking place at the Kadawatha Interchange premises.

While construction for the expressway began in 2016, the second phase has already been opened to the public. However, work on the first phase was delayed for various reasons. The project, which spans 168.7 km, is being built in four stages under a $989 million loan agreement from the China Exim Bank.

The first phase, from Kadawatha to Mirigama, is 37 km long. The second phase, from Mirigama to Kurunegala, is 39.7 km, with an additional 9.1 km section extending from Mirigama to Ambepussa.

The third phase will run 32.5 km from Pothuhera to Galagedara, while the fourth phase will cover 60.3 km from Kurunegala to Dambulla.

The second phase of the expressway was opened to the public on January 15, 2022.

The construction on the first phase had to be halted due to subsequent political instability, the economic crisis, and a labor shortage.

The project's progress was further hampered when the China Exim Bank suspended its funding.

To restart the work, which is approximately 20% complete, the China Exim Bank has now approved a Yuan loan equivalent to $500 million. The Kadawatha-Mirigama section is scheduled to be completed and opened to the public in 2028.