Cabinet approves Badulla–Hali-Ela road rehabilitation using surplus loan funds

Colombo, June 16 (Daily Mirror) - The Government has approved the rehabilitation and improvement of a section of the Badulla–Hali-Ela Road under the Peradeniya–Badulla–Chenkaladi Road (A05), utilizing surplus funds from an ongoing foreign-funded project.

The project for the improvement of the Badulla–Chenkaladi Road is jointly financed by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD). A loan surplus of approximately USD 2.4 million has been identified from an associated road development project currently being implemented with Saudi Fund credit facilities for the Ampara–Uhana–Mahaoya Road.

With Cabinet approval granted for the reallocation, the surplus funds will be used to rehabilitate a 6 km stretch of the Badulla–Hali-Ela Road (from km 115 to km 121), which has been in use for over 15 years. The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 600 million.

The initiative will also include the reconstruction of a 1.5 km damaged section (from km 119+620 to km 121+200), which suffered severe damage due to Cyclone Ditva, according to authorities.

The proposal was submitted by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development and received Cabinet approval as part of ongoing efforts to improve key national road infrastructure.