COLOMBO : Work on the first phase of the Ruwanpura Expressway, the seventh expressway to be constructed in Sri Lanka, from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya will commence on Friday,April 07 under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
According Lanka Page,the Prime Minister will inaugurate the project from Temple Trees with the participation of a limited number of people under strict health guidelines.
The proposed Ruwanpura Expressway will start from the Kahatuduwa Interchange on the Southern Expressway and proceed to Pelmadulla via Ingiriya and Ratnapura. The project was proposed in 2014 under the Mahinda Chinthana Vision for the Future.
The total distance of the proposed Ruwanpura Expressway is 73.9 km. This is to be constructed in three phases. The first phase will be 24.3 km segment from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya. Maga Engineering Company is constructing this segment at a cost Rs. 54.70 billion. Construction period is 30 months.
The construction of this expressway will ease traffic congestion on the Panadura-Ratnapura (A-08) and Colombo-Wellawaya-Batticaloa (A-04) roads and facilitate more convenient travel. This will bring socio-economic benefits to districts such as Colombo, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Moneragala and Hambantota.
The expressway will expedite the transport of Gems, tea, apparel, minor export crops, etc. to markets and supply points.
According to President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s ‘Vision of Prosperity’ policy statement, it is the responsibility of the existing government to build and make available to the people the road facilities that will provide relief to the people for a long time to come, Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando said.
“Even in the face of the Covid epidemic, we will take steps to initiate development activities for the benefit of the people. The Ruwanpura Expressway is an economically viable expressway system,” the Minister added.
Minister Johnston Fernando further said the expressway will allow investors more opportunities to invest in the area due to reduced traffic congestion, reduced fuel costs and reduced travel time.
