Southern Expressway to be completed by end 2007

THE Southern Transport Development Project (STDP) with an estimated cost of Rs. 21,104 million is expected to be completed by 2007.

The project is jointly funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japanese International Bank (JBIC).

This is one of the lead projects of the Government, an official of the National Council of Economics Development (NCED) said.

The project will support to construct a 128 kilometre expressway with a design speed of over 100 km/hour, from Colombo to Matara.

The road will also provide access to Galle Port and reduce travel time from Colombo to Matara by two hours.

The work has already started in the ADB section from Kurundugahahetekma to Matara.

The tender has been awarded for the road from Kottawa to Dodangoda and he added that he was hopeful that the issue raised by the donor JBIC will be resolved.

In addition, another road network improvement project supported by ADB at a cost of Rs. 10,500 million covers rehabilitation of over 274 kilometres of A and B class roads and 42 bridges covering 29 electorates in the Western, Central, Southern, North-Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.

Similarly road network improvement projects supported by JBIC assistance at a cost of Rs. 3,550 million will rehabilitate 70 kilometres of A and B class roads and 2 bridges in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts. The project is already in progress.