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Uncertainty looms over Kadawatha-Mirigama section of Central Expressway
By Huzefa Aliasger
Colombo, May 10 (Daily Mirror) - The future of the Kadawatha–Mirigama stretch of the central expressway remains uncertain, with the government mulling whether to renegotiate the project with the foreign contractor selected, to find a new local contractor or else to hold it for the moment.
Compensations to be paid for the previously selected foreign company keep accumulating by Rs.21 million a day, to the outstanding amount due to machines and equipment lying idle with no ongoing construction work.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena told the Daily Mirror, “Discussions on the resumption of construction is still in progress. Such discussions are focused on the renegotiation of funding or completely giving up the project. We also explore whether to find a new contractor locally.”
Dr. Prasanna said that the expressway from Kadawatha to Mirigama was partially constructed before it came to a halt due to the high costs of construction. Construction on more than 20% of the section has already been completed.
The Kadawatha-Mirigama section is phase one of the central expressway project and is a 36.5 km-long stretch, which was to be done in two stages. The first stage is five km, and the rest of the distance is completed at a cost of Rs.168.5 million, which has significantly increased over the years.
The contract was signed in 2015 and 2016 and has yet to be completed in 2025. Rs. 5,000 million has been allocated from this year’s Budget for the construction of this expressway.
The Deputy Minister said that if the construction work of the Kadawatha – Mirigama, Mirigama – Kurunegala, Pothuhera – Rambukkana and Kurunegala – Dambulla sections of the Central Expressway had been carried out on time, it could have been completed at a cost of Rs. 58 billion. Now it costs much more to complete the project.
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