Sri Lanka's opposition demands continuation of highway project

Sri Lanka's main opposition on Sunday demanded that a highway project launched by the former government linking the capital Colombo and the south be continued.

The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) warned that it would stage street protests if the Colombo-Matara highway was not extended to Beliatta in the deep south, Xinhua news agnecy reported.

UPFA MP Dallas Alahapperuma said that the new government had promised it would complete the highway projects for 20 percent less than the originally estimated costs.

Alahapperuma, however, said that while the land for the extension of the Colombo-Matara highway to Beliatta had been acquired, the construction work was at a standstill.

The first phase of the "Southern Expressway" project saw Colombo and the southern town of Galle being connected and the second phase linked Galle to the southern town of Matara.

The second phase was declared open by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in March last year. The Galle to Matara extension costing $180 million was funded by the Exim Bank of China and the former Sri Lankan government had sought funds from China for the Matara to Hambantota via Beliatta extension as well.

However, extension work on the expressway from Matara was suspended after the January 8 presidential election when the new government came to power.

"If this government does not commence the work on the highway project we will be compelled to join the people of Matara and protest on the highway," Alahapperuma, a former minister said.

Alahapperuma urged President Maithripala Sirisena to push the government to go ahead with the extension of the highway to Beliatta, which was part of the original plan of the highway project.