Lack of funds of RDA holds up Marine Drive extension

26 October 2015 04:50 pm

The third phase of the Marine Drive extension project which commenced in 1995 is at a standstill due to the lack of funds, the Road Development Authority (RDA) said today.

The authority said that it found a number of houses and business institutions along the street lines of the project to extend the Marine Drive from Kollupitiya to Galle Face.
 
Officials said that even though they had negotiated with land owners and were ready to pay compensation in accordance with the value of the land, the lack of funds had brought the project to a standstill.

“The extended Marine Drive would end at the Galle Face Green in the Galle Face Hotel area and then would be connected to the Galle Road at the Galle Face roundabout. In fact, we have found a considerable number of buildings that need to be removed for the construction of the road. But, the land values at well over one million a perch are very high in those areas. Residents asking for more compensation makes the problem worse,” the official said.

Earlier, the RDA had ruled that they can pay residents compensation only after the properties had been evaluated and that the residents would have to find alternative housing elsewhere after compensation is paid.

The entire Marine Drive project is being supervised by the RDA together with Colombo Municipal Council. Attempts to contact CMC officials for a comment failed. (Piyumi Fonseka)