Bopitiya to become modern township as part of Negombo-Colombo metro rail system

18 September 2015 03:20 am

By Jeevananda Kaviratne
A 150-acre marshy land in Bopitiya bordering Muthurajawela is to be developed as a modern township as part of the 47km electric metro rail system planned by a Malaysian company between Negombo and Colombo.

To this end, an agreement was recently signed between Malaysia’s Airport Express Air & Rail Company (AEARC) and the USA’s Newport Global Group Ltd.
The project has already secured BOI status and the total investment is estimated at Rs.450 million. 

AEARC, in 2012, delegated KPMG Mumbai to carry out a detailed feasibility study on the railway project and the development. The modern township in Bopitiya is a part of it.

Currently negotiations are underway to acquire the said 150-acre land and the developers stress rules and regulations specified in the Gazette notification issued by the Land Registry in 1972 will be strictly followed on the development of proposed township.

An architectural consultant from London is expected to be employed to construct the township in accordance with the guidelines and specifications given in the Gazette notification.

The proposed well-integrated township development covering 150 acres of residential and commercial land will have extensive landscaping and garden areas for recreational purposes. 

The main land plots of the township project are planned to be developed within this year. A total of 3050 apartments are also included in the project.

The overall development is expected to be completed by the year 2018.

Cabinet approval has already been given to create two exit points in Bopitiya and Kerawalapitiya, facilitating more traffic access to the metro.

The proposed railway route would go along the airport road, then cross the Negombo lagoon and connect to the new Katunayake Expressway through an elevated rail track.