Friday, 12 July 2013 00:01
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The Cabinet yesterday approved $ 173 million worth of loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for investment projects in the island.
The ADB will fund connectivity roads in north, which will cost $ 98 million. Around 120 kilometres of road will be rehabilitated and improved under this project. The Vavuniya-Horowupathana road (10 kilometres), Medawachchiya road (12.6 kilometres) and Kebithigollewa-Padaviya road (31 kilometres) will be upgraded.
The remainder of $ 75 million will be used to improve access roads to the Southern Expressway, which was opened in 2011. Three interchanges are also to be put in place, linking Sri Lanka’s first highway.
The Moratuwa-Piliyandala road (2.5 kilometres), Ratmalana-Mirihana (2.1 kilometres), Southern Expressway-Mathugama (12.4 kilometres), Kirulapona-Homagama (2.1 kilometres) and Kesbewa-Pokunuwila (14.4 kilometres) are the roadways earmarked for this project.
In addition, local banks will fund Sri Lankan contractors to rehabilitate rural roads under a Cabinet paper also submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
These include Mirijjawila-Sooriyawewa (23.3 kilometres), Lungamvehera-Kataragama (13.8 kilometres), Kurunegala-Narammala-Madampe (25 kilometres), Deduru Oya bridge and Kadawalagedara-Withikuliya (14 kilometres).
