The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to entrust the Road Development Authority (RDA) with the rehabilitation of roads currently under other authorities but requiring urgent renovation.

The RDA already holds responsibility for constructing, upgrading, maintaining, and managing the national highway system, including 4th and 5th grade roads, expressways, and related bridges. 

District Coordinating Committees and other institutions had requested that certain roads under provincial and local bodies be handed over to the RDA for repair.

Officials said around 60 such roads belonging to Provincial Councils and local government institutions have been identified. 

To recommend future steps for their rehabilitation, the Cabinet endorsed the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to appoint an officials’ committee.

The committee will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies; Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development; Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Finance Commission; a Provincial Chief Secretary; Department of Management Services; Road Development Authority; and a Provincial Road Development Authority.

The move is aimed at streamlining road rehabilitation and ensuring consistent standards across the national network. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development has announced urgent plans to complete construction on four major development projects in Kandy city within the next two years under the Central Province Development Program.

The projects being expedited are the Getambe Junction flyover, Mahaiyawa underground tunnel, William Gopallawa Road expansion, and Louis Peiris Mawatha upgrade, all part of a strategic development plan aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving urban infrastructure.

A field inspection of the projects was carried out yesterday with the participation of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha and Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena.

Work on the Getambe Junction flyover, which had been halted due to political, administrative and financial issues, was restarted in February 2025. The Rs. 14 billion project is designed to ease congestion on the Gannoruwa–Kandy and Peradeniya–Kandy roads.

The William Gopallawa Road is being expanded into four lanes as a solution to daily traffic in Kandy city, with Rs. 675 million allocated. Louis Peiris Mawatha, connecting Kandy–Buwelikada–Ampitiya, is being upgraded with dual lanes and pedestrian paths on both sides, supported by Rs. 539 million in funding. Given its route through landslide‑prone terrain, the project is being developed using the “soil nailing” safety technique to stabilize hill sections.

The Mahaiyawa tunnel road, providing access to the Kandy–Jaffna (A‑009) main road and the upcountry railway line, is also under construction. The tunnel will be 31.7 meters long, 21.8 meters wide and 9 meters high, with a project cost of Rs. 650 million.

The Ministry emphasized that all four projects are being fast‑tracked to deliver tangible benefits to commuters and residents of Kandy within the stipulated timeframe. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development has announced that the sustainable redevelopment of roads damaged by Cyclone Ditwah has officially commenced in the Nuwara Eliya district, the area most severely affected by the disaster.

Minister Bimal Ratnayake yesterday (25) inaugurated the redevelopment of a 2.1 km stretch of the Peradeniya–Badulla main road at Kotmale- Gerandi Ella valued at Rs. 383 million. 

According to the Ministry, the project is scheduled for completion within six months, with construction carried out by local companies selected through competitive tendering under the consultancy of the Road Development Authority.

The Ministry stated that this initiative forms part of the government’s “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” national programme, aimed at restoring critical infrastructure to safer and more standardized conditions. 

Alongside the Kotmale project, three additional road developments have begun in the Nuwara Eliya district:

• Tawalantenne–Talawakele Road (B 412) – Rs. 296 million
• Harangala–Kalapitiya–Kumbaloluwa Road (B 148) – Rs. 302 million
• Nuwara Eliya Town Road (B 331) – Rs. 205 million

The Ministry states that these projects symbolize the government’s commitment to rebuilding and modernizing the transport network, ensuring resilience and safety for communities in disaster‑affected regions. (Newswire)

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says steps have been taken to recommence numerous road development projects that were suspended due to the economic crisis, resulting in various complications.

Presenting the Appropriation Bill for the 2026 financial year in Parliament today, the President said measures have been taken to resolve the issues and recommence the implementation of these projects. 

The projects to be recommenced are as follows; 

• Central Expressway Phase 1-

The government has decided to provide financial facilities for the construction of the Kadawatha- Mirigama section of the Central Expressway. Development work has already commenced, with the state having allocated Rs. 66.150 million for the year 2026.

• Central Expressway Phase 3-

The construction of the Pihtuhera- Rambukkana section of the Central Expressway Phase 3 from Pothuhera- Galagedera is slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. The government has allocated Rs. 10,500 million for this purpose.

It has been proposed to commence construction work on the Rambukkana- Galagedera section using domestic funding from the Road Development Authority. The government has allocated Rs. 20,000 million for this purpose. 

• Katugasthota-Galagedera road section-

The necessary feasibility studies for the widening of the Katugasthota-Galagedera road section are scheduled to commence next year. In parallel with the construction of the Kandy Multi-Modal Transport Centre, provisions have been made in this budget to widen and upgrade several access roads leading to Kandy City. 

• Kurunegala- Dambulla proposed expressway-

The government has allocated Rs. 1000 million to complete the land acquisition process for the proposed Kurunegala- Dambulla expressway, which has already commenced. 

• Ruwanpura Expressway – First section of Kahathuduwa to Ingiriya:

It has been proposed to reassess the improvement of the existing access road from Kahathuduwa to Ingiriya, based on a review of the feasibility study conducted in 2018 and further analysis of the information derived from the study. The government has allocated Rs. 1500 million for this purpose. 

• Feasibility study on the construction of the link between the Port Access Elevated Highway and the Marine Drive extension:

The government has allocated Rs. 330 million to conduct a feasibility study on constructing a link between the Port City end of the Port Access Elevated Highway and the Marine Drive. (Newswire)

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The Government of Sri Lanka and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a loan agreement of USD 90 million for phase 5 of the Second Integrated Road Investment Program (iROAD 2). 

According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the loan agreement has been signed after the government successfully concluded discussions with the ADB. 

The objective of this program is to enhance road transport efficiency by improving connectivity between selected rural communities and key socio-economic centres, while also strengthening the institutional capacity of national road agencies.

According to the ADB, the loan will support the upgrading of approximately 500 kilometres of rural access roads that are inclusive and accessible to elderly persons, women, children, and persons with disabilities, and will be developed in accordance with climate- and weather-resilient standards.

In addition, the program will facilitate the rehabilitation of around 21 kilometres of national roads and the maintenance of approximately 100 kilometres of rural access roads.

The Ministry of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development will serve as the executing agency, while the Road Development Authority (RDA) will act as the implementing agency.

The loan agreement was formally signed today at the General Treasury in Colombo, by Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Harsha Suriyapperuma on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and ADB’s Country Director for Sri Lanka, Takafumi Kadono. (Newswire)

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