40% Completion Reached on Kadawatha–Mirigama Central Expressway Section

Nearly 40 per cent of construction work on the Kadawatha–Mirigama stretch of Sri Lanka’s Central Expressway has been completed, marking a significant milestone in one of the country’s most important transport infrastructure projects.

Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Ratnayake announced that close to 40 per cent of the Kadawatha–Mirigama section of the Central Expressway has now been completed. The Minister made this statement during an inspection tour of the construction site, which forms the first phase of the Central Expressway project.

During the visit, the Minister instructed officials to give special attention to traffic congestion issues that have been previously identified along the Colombo–Kandy road. He emphasised the importance of carefully managing traffic flow at expressway entry and exit points in order to minimise inconvenience to motorists during the construction period.

Although agreements for the Central Expressway project were initially signed in 2015, construction activities only commenced in 2020. The project later came to a complete standstill due to the country’s severe economic crisis, which officials attributed to earlier failed economic policies.

Following the appointment of the new government, discussions were resumed between the Ministry of Transport and the Chinese government. These negotiations resulted in the approval of a loan facility to complete the remaining construction work. As a result, construction on the Kadawatha–Mirigama section officially resumed on September 17, 2025.

Once completed, the Central Expressway is expected to significantly reduce travel time between key cities, improve connectivity, and ease congestion on major arterial roads, contributing to the country’s long-term economic development.