- SL loses billions of rupees in fines as delays drag on
After years of stalled progress and financial penalties amounting to over Rs. 55 billion, the Government has pledged to expedite the long-delayed Central Expressway Project (CEP).
The Road Development Authority (RDA) has confirmed that construction on the expressway’s third section is now advancing steadily, with assurances that it will be completed by next year.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Road Development Authority (RDA) Chairman T. Paskaran confirmed that work on Section 3 – spanning from Pothuhera to Galagedara – was nearing its first phase of completion, with preliminary work for its second phase already underway.
“Currently, all necessary construction for Section 3 is proceeding without notable delay and work on Section 1 is also ongoing,” Paskaran said, assuring that the third section would be completed by next year.
Sri Lanka has incurred over Rs. 55 billion in fines due to prolonged delays in the CEP, Transport and Highways Minister Bimal Rathnayake revealed in Parliament last week.
Describing the project’s progression as “a theft, a fraud, and a tragedy,” the Minister condemned the years of stalled construction and financial mismanagement surrounding the expressway.
The CEP, launched in 2020 as a four-year project, has faced repeated halts owing to the country’s economic crisis and other construction setbacks. Despite the ongoing challenges, authorities maintain the project remains a priority.
As it stands, only Section 2 of the expressway – connecting Mirigama to Kurunegala – has been fully completed, while Sections 1, 3, and 4 remain under various stages of construction.
The ‘Proposed CEP: Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report’ (May 2016) submitted to the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment outlines the full scope of the project: a 136.9 km expressway from Kadawatha to Dambulla, divided into four main phases.
Section 1 covers approximately 37 km from Kadawatha to Mirigama; Section 2 includes a 39.7 km stretch from Mirigama to Kurunegala, plus a 9.1 km link from Mirigama to Ambepussa. Section 3 extends 32.5 km from Pothuhera to Galagedara, while Section 4 is planned as a 60 km route from Kurunegala to Dambulla.
The expressway design features 14 interchanges, including three system interchanges at Kadawatha, Wilwatta, and Pothuhera, alongside 12 service interchanges, such as the Ambepussa Junction.