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PM to launch several mega construction projects today to ease traffic congestion

Published

5 years ago

2021/06/7

A project to construct five flyovers and a four-lane elevated expressway from the New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya to ease traffic congestion in Colombo and Kandy is scheduled to be launched by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today (07).

The inauguration ceremony will be held with the participation of a limited number of people as per the health regulations in place in view of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa will participate at the ceremony via new technology from Temple Trees.

Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said that the implementation of the project demonstrated the government’s commitment to the vision and policies of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour. This year’s budget had laid special emphasis on solving traffic congestion in main cities, the Minister said, adding that as part the project five new flyovers and an elevated expressway from the New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya would be constructed.

Flyovers would be constructed at Kohuwala junction, Getambe Junction, overpassing the Slave Island Railway Station to Justice Akbar Mawatha, Uttarananda Mawatha and another flyover connecting two overhead bridges. A flyover would be constructed across Beira Lake and Slave Island to the Bala Daksha Mawatha and another connecting Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha.

Cabinet approval has been granted for these constructions.

The four-lane elevated expressway from the New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya is planned to reduce huge traffic congestion created by vehicles coming from the Southern Expressway to Colombo and those from Battaramulla, Kaduwela and Aturugiriya to Colombo. It is 16.4 km in length and estimated cost is Rs 134.9 billion. The construction would be done by the China Harbour Engineering Company in 36 months. The elevated expressway will start from the New Kelani Bridge and runs through Kolonnawa, Rajagiriya, Buthgamauwa, Battaramulla, Koswatte, Pothuarawa, Hokandara to Outer Circular Expressway. There would be inter-exchanges at Orugodawatte, Rajagriya, Koswatte, Hokandara and at Dematagoda connecting the Baseline Road. There would be another inter-exchange linking the elevated expressway to the Outer Circular Expressway at Athurugiriya.

The Flyover at Kohuwala junction will be constructed with the financial aid from the Hungarian government at a cost of 2,648 million rupees. The overhead bridge would be of 217.30 m in length and 9.4 m in width overarching a four-lane road connecting Nugegoda and Kalubowila controlled by traffic signals. The project is expected to be completed in 22 months.

The flyover at the Getambe junction will be constructed with the financial aid from the Hungarian government at a cost of Rs. 9,451 million. It would be 396.70 metres in length and its branch-flyover would be 285 metres in length. The width of the flyover would be covered in three segments. The main flyover would be of 9.40 metres in length and counted together with the branch flyover the total width would be 12.90 metres. The width of the branch-flyover from Kandy to Peradeniya would be 6.40 meters. In additions the plans have been made to construct the underway enabling two or three vehicles at once and it comprise a 30 meter long four-lane iron bridge from Peradeniya to Kandy. The project is scheduled to be completed in 28 months.

Length of the Flyover at the Justice Akbar Mawatha will be 207 m It would be 8.4 m in width. Flyover at the Uttarananda Mawatha will be 396 m in length and 10.4 min width. The flyover connecting the two aforementioned flyovers would be 310 meters in length and 6.9 meters in width. Total cost for three aforementioned flyovers is estimated at 5,270 million rupees. It is planned to be completed in 12 months and construction work of the flyovers would be by Maga Engineering Pvt Ltd.

The Flyover across Beira Lake and Slave Island Railway Station connecting Bala Daksha Mawatha and Chittampalam A Gardner Mawatha is planned to be completed in 12 months. It will be 360 m in length and 11 meters in width. The total construction cost is Rs 2,730 million and the work is to be completed by the Access Engineering PLC.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.