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Evaluation of Red LRT in 3 months 

04 Apr 2021

  • Cabinet approves 4 elevated LRTs 

  • Evaluation work ongoing 

  • Project on PPP basis 

  The evaluation work on the 42 km Red Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line of the Western Region Transport Development Project (WRTDP), which is to be constructed from Ragama to Kottawa via Colombo Fort, is to be completed within the next three months, The Sunday Morning learnt.  It is learnt that the project office of the WRTDP is currently evaluating the investors’ proposals, which are on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis of development, pertaining to the already planned LRT lines.  Once the evaluation is completed, the project would once again be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers and if the Cabinet gives the green light, the work on the Red LRT Line of the WRTDP could begin next year, according to the project office.  The Red LRT Line starts from the Ragama Railway Station and passes along the Outer Circular Expressway to the Kadawatha Multimodal Centre and reaches the Colombo Fort Railway Station via Kiribathgoda, the Kelaniya University, Peliyagoda, Panchikawatte, and Maradana. Thereafter, it proceeds to Kirulapone passing the Regal Cinema, Slave Island, Nawaloka Hospital, Altair, Colombo City Centre (CCC), Nawam Mawatha, and Kollupitiya. Then, along Duplication Road/R.A. de Mel Mawatha, it turns towards the Colombo University and passes the Thunmulla Junction and Havelock City, and meets the Green Line in Kirulapone.  Meanwhile, Cabinet approval has been granted for the construction of four LRT lines.  This proposal has been submitted by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) with the intention of reducing traffic congestion in Colombo.  According to the proposal, the four elevated LRT lines include the Red Line; the Green Line (28 km), which is from Moratuwa to Kelaniya via Narahenpita; the Blue Line, (23 km) from Kottawa to Hunupitiya via Isurupaya, Pelawatta in Battaramulla; and the Purple Line from the Port City in Colombo to Athurugiriya via Borella.  When contacted, WRTDP Deputy Project Director Engineer P. Dissanayake said that the evaluation work on these four LRT lines were currently ongoing and that the evaluation work on the Red Line would likely be completed within three months.  “We will have to submit the project for different approvals on at least four occasions to the Cabinet in the future,” he said.  When queried about the total cost, Dissanayake noted that the Project would be conducted as a PPP, and that until the evaluation is completed, the total cost cannot be estimated.   


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