Construction on long-awaited Central (Colombo-Kandy) Expressway to start

    Construction on a new Central Expressway (Colombo-Kandy) will soon begin, the Government said on Wednesday. The decision was taken at a meeting at the Ministry of Finance between the Minister of Highways and Investment Promotion Kabir Hashim, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Secretaries to the Ministry of Highways and Investment Promotion and Finance and a senior advisor to the Prime Minister. According to an official statement, Minister Hashim has said that it had been agreed in principle that construction on the Central Expressway is to begin. He explained that the government was committed to ensuring the process was carried out in a transparent and rapid manner. “The Minister added that emphasis would be given to the use of local contractors in the upcoming project as he was convinced that they had the expertise to carry out the work. However, he stressed that the tenders for the project would also be open to foreign contractors. The Ministry is currently in the process of exploring funding options for the project both from local and international financial institutions,” the Highways Ministry statement added.