Central Expressway’s Pothuhera-Rambukkana stretch on track for 2026 opening

The crucial first package of the Central Expressway’s Section 3, connecting Pothuhera to Rambukkana, is on schedule to open to the public in 2026, with Access Engineering PLC set to complete its foundational work by September of this year.

In a recent discussion with Mirror Business, Access Engineering PLC Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman Christopher Joshua confirmed that the company’s extensive work on the project is nearing completion.

“The rock blasting and the development of the roadway, without the final pavement, are in the process of being completed. We think all that work could be completed by about September this year,” Joshua stated.

Access Engineering’s scope of work covers the most challenging aspects of this section, including extensive rock blasting required for the terrain.

Following the completion of this phase, the final road pavement work, for which the tender has already been called, will commence.

“That will be awarded, and that work will take another 18 months,” Joshua explained. “So, hopefully somewhere in 2026, we will see the road open up to Rambukkana.”

However, the timeline for the subsequent package of Section 3 remains uncertain. The procurement process for the 22-kilometre stretch from Rambukkana to Galagedara has not yet been initiated. This could pose a potential future bottleneck in the completion of the full expressway.

The Central Expressway project, a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s national road development plan, is a partially built highway designed to link the capital, Colombo, with the cities of Kandy and Dambulla. The project is divided into four main sections, with progress varying significantly between them. The second section, a 40.9 km stretch from Mirigama to Kurunegala, is the only phase fully completed and was opened to the public in January 2022. Other phases, including the critical initial section from Kadawatha to Mirigama, have faced considerable delays. (NF)