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Central Expressway: Chinese firm likely to get Stage four
View(s):The Highways Ministry is seeking approval to hand over the construction of stage four of the Central Expressway between Kurunegala and Dambulla to a Chinese firm.
The funding for the project will come as a loan from the China Exim Bank and the project is due to be completed within three and a half years.
The expressway spanning 68.7 kilometres is to cost Rs. 2.5 billion per kilometre. Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said the project would begin next year and once completed along with the rest of the Central Expressway project the travel time between Colombo and Dambulla would be only around 90 minutes.
“The project will be useful for the tourism industry and the transport of vegetables to Colombo,” he said. The rest of the expressway project is being carried out in three stages: Stage one – from Kadawatha to Mirigama
(37.1 km), Stage two – from Mirigama to Kurunegala (76.8 km) and Stage three – from Pothuhera to Galagedara (32.5 km).