Five years of development:

Major transformation in Colombo

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The international sports stadium complex in Diyagama

Havelock City

An artist’s impression of the Colombo-Katunayake Highway

With rapid and focused development, the Colombo City is now being transformed into one of the most developed townships in Asia with high living standards.

While the Government is providing the infrastructure, the private sector too has played a major role in transforming Colombo in to a much sought after city to live and work in.

The biggest ongoing development project in Colombo is the Colombo Katunayake Highway project which would be opened to the public in November 2012.

The concept has been alive since the 1971 Non-Aligned Summit; however, during that time the proposal only saw two bridges being built in Peliyagoda and in Wattala. Subsequently in 2002, land was acquired and some work was done, but once again it was stalled due to the shortage of funds.

Finally, after discussions with many foreign countries, the Government successfully negotiated with the Chinese EXIM Bank to fund this project which is expected to cost US$ 292 million.

Project Director M.P.K.L. Gunaratne told the Sunday Observer that the travel time from Peliyagoda to the airport would be reduced to 20 minutes as against over one hour it takes at present. The 26 km highway would be designed and constructed by China Mythological Group Corporation on a Design and Build basis.

He said the four-lane highway would be the country’s second toll highway and the toll would be used to maintain the expressway without letting it be a burden to the Government. Over 300 will be employed for this project for which CCTV, modern lighting and many other new techniques would be in place.

The highway would have four exist points from Peliyagoda, Kerawalapitiya, Ja-Ela and Katunayake and it would also be connected to the Circular Road that is being built. This Circular Road would also connect to the Colombo-Matara Highway from Kottawa and the Colombo-Kandy Highway from Kadawata.

Some of the main project objectives are to create a high-speed link between Colombo and Katunayake (International Airport), serve the traffic to and from the northern part of the island, link with the rapid industrial expansion in the area and also to encourage outward migration of people living under congested conditions in and around Colombo.

Colombo has seen the birth of many flyovers such as those in Kelaniya, Orugodawatta, Nugegoda, Pannipitiya and Dehiwala, while several more would be constructed in Maharagama, Panchikawatta and Lipton Circus.

These fly-overs have significantly eased the congestion on Colombo roads.

The launch of the City Liner bus service from areas such as Ratmalana and Ja-Ela too has helped reduce the number of vehicles entering the City of Colombo.

Another major development project is the proposed Colombo South Harbour development project which would have four terminals, each over 1,200m in length, to accommodate three berths alongside depths of 18m and provision to further deepen to 23m to accommodate deeper draft vessels.

Phase One of the Colombo South Harbour project is to be carried out in two stages with the first stage of development involving the infrastructure with public funds (US$ 300 million) and the second stage - the other terminal facilities (US$ 700 million) - with private sector participation.

Havelock City is the largest residential and commercial development project presently undertaken in Sri Lanka by the private sector, adding more colour and dignity to the city of Colombo.

It is a joint venture project between Overseas Realty (Ceylon) PLC and the Bank of Ceylon. The project, when fully completed, will boast of eight luxurious residential apartment towers, a commercial and shopping mall with major department stores, a supermarket, leisure and entertainment complexes and dining and recreational facilities including a food court, under its “City within a City” concept.

Celestial Residencies, which would be Sri Lanka’s tallest building, near Temple Trees, and many other condominium housing development projects too have got off the ground with 90 percent of them being already sold out.

The 156-acre Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Diyagama, Homagama is the best sports arena in the city of Colombo, providing facilities to host rugby, soccer and a synthetic track for athletics. The ground also comprises a swimming pool, a rifle shooting range and a gymnasium.

The environmental friendly sports complex houses two pavilions which can accommodate more than 3000 spectators each.

The new Art Centre coming up in Town Hall with the assistance of the Chinese government, the refurbishment of the country’s oldest art centre the Town Hall foundation and opening of the Galle Face and Gangarama recreation areas to the public will enable the people to relax in a free and welcome atmosphere.