Rs. 6,255 m Matara-Karaitivu road development project gets under way

by Lalin Fernandopulle

The Matara-Karaitivu 305 kilometre road development project to be built at a cost of Rs. 6,255 million will commence from Matara to Karaitivu via Wellawaya, Siyambalanduwa, Ampara up to Karaitivu under the Tsunami Affected Area Rebuilding Project (TAARP).

The development of the Matara-Karaitivu Road, the biggest road development project under the 'Mahinda Chinthanaya' was launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Thanamalwila on Friday.

The Matara-Karaitivu Road which was badly affected by the tsunami was in a deplorable state hindering the lives and livelihood of the people in Weerawila, Wellawaya, Siyambalanduwa and Ampara. The vision of President Rajapaksa is to help the rural community battered by poverty and the tsunami, Minister of Highways Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said.

He said there had been growing criticism on the sad state of the road network in the country from all sections in society. Development of the road network is a sine qua non for the progress of the country.

No country could develop its economy and achieve growth if the road network is not up to the mark. President Rajapaksa in his election manifesto recognised the need to develop the country's road network which is indispensable for economic growth.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Commission (EU) and World Bank (WB) will fund the project to rehabilitate the tsunami affected areas focusing on developing rural infrastructure facilities such as roads, bridges and culverts and other vital sectors.

The Matara-Karaitivu Road development program will commence in three stages starting from Matara to Wellawaya, Wellawaya to Siyambalanduwa and Siyambalanduwa to Karaitivu. The project covers four districts including Matara, Hambanthota, Moneragala and Ampara will commence in next month and be completed by April 2009.

The Matara-Wellawaya road which is around 158 kms will be completed within 30 months at an estimated cost of Rs. 4,000 million funded by the ADB and the EC. The WB will fund the Wellawaya-Karaitivu road which is nearly 147 kms within 42 months at a cost of Rs. 2,255 million.

The Minister said the Matara-Karaitivu Road is not a new highway project but a project to renovate and upgrade the standard of the road. The road will be carpeted using Asphaltic Concrete (AC). There will be nearly 45 bridges and 165 culverts that will be renovated along the Matara- Karaitivu Road.

The rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara Road commenced this month with a tentative cost of Rs. 2,400 million funded by the WB. The project will be completed by March 2007. The Potuvil, Akkaraipattu, Batticoloa, Habarana, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu and Jaffna roads will be developed under TAARP.

Asked as to why work on the Katunayake-Colombo highway had come to a halt, the Minister said the MoU signed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga with the Chinese government last October had been a failure.