Sri Lanka to call bids for Central Expressway: Highways Ministry

Jun 18, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to call expressions of interest to build the Central Expressway soon which is part of the Northern Expressway leading to the Jaffna peninsula, the Ministry of Highways said.









“Bids will be called once cabinet approval has been given for the project, it will be presented to cabinet shortly. We will be commencing work as soon as possible,” Spokesperson from the Ministry of Highways and Investment Promotion told LBO.







“There are two options being explored in terms of the route.



The first option is for the expressway to be built to Dambulla, the second option is that it will first be built up to Kurunegala," “The best option will be decided once the final cost is confirmed.” The Spokesperson said that the emphasis would be given to the use of local contractors in the upcoming project as the Minister was convinced that they had the expertise to carry out the work. The Highways Minister Kabir Hashim said in a statement that it is currently in the process of exploring funding options for the project both from local and international financial institutions.







The statement further stated that it had been agreed that construction on the Central Expressway is to begin and that the government was committed to ensuring the process was carried out in a transparent and rapid manner.