By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): The proposed South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Port Access Elevated Highway (PAEH) Project will be completed next year.
The government will construct about 5.3 kilometers (km) of an elevated toll highway with related facilities between New Kelani Bridge (NKB) and Galle Face in central Colombo 1.
It will provide a direct link to the city center and the port from Colombo – Katunayake Expressway (CKE) via NKB, and then extend the expressway network into the city.
The project will help alleviate traffic congestion in the densely populated areas of Colombo, improve last-mile connectivity from the country’s expressway network to the international port in Colombo, provide better logistics services for freight operations, and facilitate regional trade.
The estimated cost of the Project is Rs, 28.002 Billion. The Project was commenced in 2019 and it is planned to be completed in 2023 and now it has extended to 2024.
Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media, Bandula Gunawardena has commented on the implementation of the Port Access Elevated Highway Project, highlighting that 30% of the project is yet to be completed.
He stated that the project is expected to conclude by the end of September next year.The Minister further added that an expenditure of US$ 60.2 million will have to be incurred by the government to conclude the entire project.
A special inspection tour of the Port Access Elevated Highway Project was led by the Minister today, along with a group of Chinese stakeholders involved in the project.
The relevant project was commenced in 2019 to alleviate traffic congestion in the densely populated areas of Colombo, improve last-mile connectivity from the country’s expressway network to the international port in Colombo, provide better logistics services for freight operations, and to facilitate regional trade.
The project includes the construction of an elevated toll highway spanning approximately 5.3 kilometres between the New Kelani Bridge and Galle Face in Colombo, which aims to provide a direct link to the City center and the Port from the Colombo- Katunayake Expressway via the New Kelani Bridge.
The Port Access Highway Project was originally scheduled to be concluded in 2023, however, delays occurred due to the fallout of the economic crisis in the country last year.
Commenting further regarding the matter, Gunawardena emphasized that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) acts as the main lender of the project, adding that out of the total cost of $ 360.2 million, the ADB provides$ 300 million as such the local government should incur $ 60.2 million.
