US $ 3000 for N-E road construction

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Highways Ministry yesterday highlighted the construction of a massive highway project in the Northern and Eastern Provinces to be commenced shortly with a state allocation of US dollars 3000 million.

Speaking to Sunday Observer, Highways Minister T.B. Ekanayake said at a time when a peaceful atmosphere prevails in the entire Northern and Eastern districts, his Ministry has planned to expedite the road construction work in these districts which will largely help people to travel in their thousands between the South and the North-East.

He said in addition to main roads which lead to major towns, such as Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee, Ampara, Kalmunai and Killinochchi in the North and East, all by-roads and other small roads will also be constructed under this project.

The Minister said in addition, his Ministry plans to construct highways and super grade roads in these two districts in future with the objective of improving fish, dry fish, vegetable and fruit business activities.

He also focused attention towards the present construction work of the A-9 road which is used by people to travel between Colombo and Jaffna and said that it will be widened.

He said 60 per cent of the construction work of the A- 32 road which runs between Vavuniya and Poonarin has already been completed and over 75 per cent construction work of the Silawatura- Murungan road which has about 60 km has also started.

Minister Ekanayake said that the construction work of the proposed bridge between India and Sri Lanka has also come to a standstill on the grounds that such a road could be used by unwanted

elements to engage in illegal activities.

Speaking on the road construction in the South, the Minister said the Government has allocated Rs. 295 million for the current year to construct A and B Grade roads and a record sum of Rs. 80,000 million has been allocated to construct all other main roads such as from Colombo to Horana, Ratnapura, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Anuradhapura and Colombo to Kataragama.