The Government has decided to commence the construction of the Rambukkana-Galagedara section of the Central Expressway Phase III using domestic funds.
Presenting the 2026 Budget proposal to Parliament on Friday (7), President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised that the Government was focused on completing key expressway projects to strengthen road connectivity and support economic growth.
According to the Budget proposal, the construction of the Pothuhera-Rambukkana section of the Central Expressway Phase III, extending from Pothuhera to Galagedara, is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027, with an allocation of Rs. 10,500 million.
Furthermore, it has been proposed to commence construction work on the Rambukkana-Galagedara section of the same phase using local funding, taking into account the country’s fiscal space.
A total of Rs. 20,000 million has been allocated for this purpose, comprising remaining provisions from the Road Development Authority’s debt repayments and an additional budgetary allocation.
President Dissanayake noted that the economic crisis experienced by the country had led to the suspension of numerous road development projects, causing various complications, and that measures had now been taken to address these issues and resume the implementation of such projects.
For overall road development in 2026, the Government has allocated Rs. 342 billion, which includes several major initiatives.
Among them, financial facilities have been approved for the construction of the Kadawatha-Mirigama section of the Central Expressway, with Rs. 66,150 million allocated for 2026. Feasibility studies for widening the Katugastota-Galagedara road section are also set to begin next year.
In parallel with the development of the Kandy Multimodal Transport Centre, provisions have been made to widen and upgrade several access roads leading into Kandy City, which is expected to ease traffic congestion significantly.
Land acquisition for the proposed Kurunegala-Dambulla Expressway is currently in progress, with Rs. 1,000 million allocated to complete this process. Meanwhile, the construction of the 25-kilometre Kahathuduwa-Ingiriya section of the Ruwanpura Expressway, which was halted during the economic crisis, is to be reassessed.
The Government plans to improve the existing access road based on an updated feasibility study, with Rs. 1,500 million allocated for land acquisition.
Additionally, to enhance connectivity to the Colombo Port and Port City, Rs. 330 million has been allocated to conduct a feasibility study on constructing a link between the Port Access Elevated Highway and the Marine Drive Extension (Phase II).