Skip to main content

Sri Lanka road proposal

A new tolled highway linking Colombo with Kandy could be built with financial support from Malaysia.
March 1, 2012 Read time: 1 min
A new tolled highway linking Colombo with Kandy could be built with financial support from Malaysia. The Malaysian Government is considering its options with regard to the US$1 billion plan for the Colombo-Kandy Toll Expressway. A proposal to build the 115km highway link that was originally submitted in 2003 will be resubmitted to the Government of Sri Lanka. The proposed highway link was dropped later in 2003 following feasibility studies highlighting various issues relating to the highway. However the project may now be revived with Malaysian contractors carrying out the work and this would reduce the current journey time of three hours to 55 minutes along the route.

Sri Lanka's highway network is now improving after several decades of under-investment and neglect. The new Southern Expressway is expected to open in December 2011, which will improve the connection between capital Colombo and Galle in the south. The plans call for the highway to be extended to Matara and Hambanthota.

Related Content

  • New bridge link for Sri Lanka
    January 10, 2017
    A new bridge spanning Sri Lanka’s Mahaweli River and close to the city of Kandy has been officially opened. The bridge link connects the neighbouring villages of Dodanwala and Halloluwa in Sri Lanka’s Central Province and was opened by Maithripala Sirisena, the country’s president. The bridge is nearly 105m long and replaces a 75 year old suspension bridge that was no longer fit for purpose. The old structure carried pedestrian traffic only while the new bridge carries two lanes of vehicle traffic, as well
  • Tanzania’s work on East Africa’s multi-national road project
    November 28, 2022
    Tanzania is kick-starting construction work on the missing link in East Africa's multinational road
  • Sri Lanka elevated highway upgrade planned
    May 7, 2019
    Upgrade work is planned for an elevated highway in Sri Lanka.
  • UK report suggests 30km Pennine tunnel with robotic maintenance
    December 2, 2015
    The UK could build one of Europe’s longest road tunnels as it considers route options for a new major link connecting the cities of Manchester and Sheffield in England. An interim report looking at how best to connect the cities suggested that the road could be between 40km-50km, depending on the route. It “will include a tunnelled section, which could range from between 20-30km, making it one of the longest road tunnels ever built”.