Cabinet approves consultancy services for key highway projects under ADB funding

By Uditha Jayasinghe

Cabinet has given approval for a range of infrastructure projects, including commencing feasibility studies on the Northern Expressway, Colombo Outer Circular Highway and road rehabilitation under a US$ 85 million Asian Development Bank project.

In what will likely be the last Cabinet meeting for 2012, members have made merry in passing a range of papers, including granting the feasibility study of the proposed Phase I Northern Expressway to Australian company SMEC. Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told media that Phase I of the Northern Expressway is to be constructed under three stages and Stage I of the project from Enderamulla to Meerigama (length 42.5 km) will be constructed initially with four lanes.  



The feasibility contract given to SMEC is Australian $ 3.9 million and Rs. 414 million.

SMEC has operated in Sri Lanka since 1982, according to its website. SMEC’s first project in Sri Lanka was the Mahaweli Area Roads Development Project.

SMEC was also recently engaged as the employer’s representative on the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway Project. SMEC assures that it will ensure that the design and construction of the 24km, four lane divided expressway conforms to specified standards.

Cabinet also approved road rehabilitation for the Aluthgama Road connecting to the Southern Expressway to the tune of Rs. 1.6 billion but did not disclose the name of the company. This is being done under a special US$ 85 million loan from the Asian Development Bank.

In a separate Cabinet paper, also presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Ports and Highways Minister, funding was approved to repair the Puttalam-Anuradhapura Road, Udatenna-Mahiyangaga Road, Nuwara Eliya-Badulla Road and Habarana-Kantale Road. Consultancy services for these roads have been extended and contracts have been revised to US$ 4.6 million and Rs. 860 million.

In addition, the Outer Circular Highway that is part of the Greater Colombo Urban Transport Development Project has also had its consultancy services extended and contract brought up to Yen 1.2 billion and Rs. 1.1 billion. This highway is planned to connect the Colombo-Katunayake Highway at Kerawalapitiya and Southern Expressway at Kottawa to span 29.1 km.

Domestic contractors by contrast have been allocated only Rs. 1.8 billion under a loan from Hatton National Bank to concrete pave the Meepa-Ingiriya Road that spans 18.13 km.