Highways Minister Johnston Fernando instructed his ministry officials to fast track the work on the Port Access Elevated Highway from Ingurukade Junction to the Colombo Port City to commission it for the public use in 2023.
Speaking to officials during a meeting held at his ministry to review the progress of the Port Access Elevated Highway construction, the Minister observed that there had been an undue delay in the construction work of the road during its first two years. The project had recorded only a seven per cent progress during that period, the minister observed.
Project Director Eng KW Kandammbi said that during the first quarter of 2022, the project would report 32 per cent progress. He said that work on the country’s first ever precast concrete bridge was in progress.
The Highways Ministry sources said the travel time between Ingurukade junction and Fort, which takes about 45 minutes now, would be reduced to five minutes once the project was completed. The 5.3 km highway on pillars will be connected to the New Kelani Bridge via the Ingurukade junction, near the Kelanitissa Power Station, and extend onwards to the Colombo Port City. It is going to be a four-lane highway built at a cost of Rs 28,002 million.
The Port Access Elevated Highway has five on-and-off ramp facilities to provide entrances at the Ingurukade Junction, near Wimaladhamra building at Pettah, Aluth Mawatha entrance, Galle Face entrance and the Port City entrance. The project will help ease traffic congestion in Colombo’s densely populated areas, improve connectivity between the country’s expressway network and Colombo port, provide better logistics services for freight operations, and facilitate regional trade. (Ministry of Highways)