MC-Super Highway work expedited

by Anura Maitipe

The most difficult stage, the first phase of the Matara-Colombo Super Highway (MCSH) project from Kurudugaha to Imaduwa has been completed. The remaining work will be completed shortly, the Southern Highway authoritative sources told the media during a recent visit to the Super Highway construction site at Baddegama.

This is the first super highway in the country and its cost is Rs. 30.5 billion. It is also the second largest project in the country after Mahaweli Development Project, sources added.

Construction work on the MCSH project was undertaken by a Japanese construction firm "Kumagai". It consists of 15 bridges, 123 under passes and 380 culverts. Construction work from Kurudugaha to Matara is now in progress.

At the initial stage of the Matara Highway it will have only four lanes, two on either side. Once the project is completed, it will consist of six lanes, and the journey from Colombo to Matara would be reduced from the current average four hours to one and a half hours.

The project which began in March 2003 was expected to conclude in 2010. However, a part of construction is still lagging behind its set target, due to bad weather, tsunami disaster and non allocation of land in time by the Road Development Authority (RDA).

According to the RDA they had to fight a legal battle with private land owners in the process of acquisition of lands which delayed the project. To minimise this delay, the Japanese constructors have now expedited work to meet the deadline.