320m Flyover Opens in Colombo After Long Delay
Sri Lanka today (19)opened its newest urban flyover, connecting Bala Daksha Mawatha and Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha in Colombo - a long-awaited solution designed to ease years of persistent traffic congestion in the Kompannyawatta area.The newly completed structure marks the final flyover in the broader series of elevated road projects planned to decongest one of Colombo's busiest transport corridors.Stretching 320 meters in length and 11 meters in width, the flyover accommodates two lanes dedicated to one-way traffic, enabling faster, uninterrupted flow during peak hours.Designed as a strategic intervention to reduce traffic build-up created by the Kompannyawatta railway crossing, the flyover provides an elevated bypass for vehicles that would otherwise remain blocked by the frequent closing of the crossing for train movements.Construction of the flyover began on June 21, 2021, and was originally scheduled for completion on June 20, 2022.However, the country's severe economic crisis disrupted procurement cycles, material imports, contractor payments, and project timelines, ultimately forcing authorities to extend the contract period until November 30, 2025.Speaking at the event, Minister Bimal Rathnayake noted that while the project was originally scheduled for completion in 2022, work was delayed by three years due to the economic crisis.He added that this delay resulted in an additional cost of one billion rupees in payments.
