Increased investments on road development

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Government invested Rs.19,479 million on road development during the period from January to May 2011.

According to the Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report 2011 issued by the Finance Ministry, this includes Rs.4,279 million on the development of express ways and Rs.8,914 million on the development of highways islandwide.

In addition, Rs.4,861 million on widening and improvement of provincial roads, Rs.524 million on construction of bridges and flyovers and Rs.898 million on tsunami-affected road rehabilitation had been incurred during the period.

Under the Maga Neguma and Gama Neguma programs, Rs.939 million and Rs.1,153 million have been spent on the development of rural roads from January to May.

Meanwhile according to Finance Ministry sources, the investment on the road sector has increased from Rs.18.8 billion in 2005 to Rs.108 billion in 2010. As a result of this investment, the road sector alone contributed to two percent of the GDP in 2010. The increased investment on this sector has been distributed at all levels-national, provincial and local-to establish connectivity in urban and rural transportation.

During the last six-year period, Rs.43 billion had been spent on provincial road development which was nine percent of the total road sector investment. The investment on national roads from 2005 to 2010 was increased from Rs.13 billion to Rs.82 billion. In 2010, 76 percent of the total investment on the road sector was utilised for national road development, the sources said.