Sixty percent of Colombo-Katunayake Expressway complete

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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