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| Sunday, 09 March 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Work begins on Southern Highway today by ANTON NONIS The construction of the long awaited 126 kilometre Matara-Colombo expressway, the first such in Sri Lanka, will get under way today with Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation Minister Tilak Marapana laying the foundation stone at Nayapamula in Baddegama at 3 p.m. The ceremony will mark the beginning of stage one of the expressway, extending from Kurundugahahetakma to Matara-Godagama, a distance of 59.5 kilometres. The estimated cost of stage one is Rs. 11.5 billion, which will be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). According to RDA's Assistant Resettlement Officer, H.B.R. Chandrasiri, the delay in the project had been due to difficulties encountered in clearing the path for the laying of road. Problems arose in the Akmeemana area during the process of land acquisition due to the refusal of some settlers to move out. However, these have been settled and compensation is being paid to them. Stage one has been designed to cover a major part of Galle district, once constructed, sources said. Stage two of the project is from Kottawa to Kurundugahahetekma, a distance of 66.9 kilometres. This stage is estimated to cost Rs. 18.7 billion to be funded by Japan Bank International Corporation (JBIC). The targeted time frame for both stages is five years. And the expressway once completed will speed up the journey from Colombo to Matara, which, now takes more than four hours. |
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