President Anura Kumara Dissanayake convened a high-level meeting today (28) at the Presidential Secretariat with senior officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, as well as the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing. 

During the discussion, the President instructed the relevant officials to expedite the construction of the Mirigama-Kadawatha section of the Central Expressway, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.  

The meeting also focused on the Colombo Port Access Elevated Highway project, with deliberations on strategies to swiftly integrate its benefits into the national economy. Furthermore, the meeting also explored both short-term and long-term solutions to address associated challenges. 

Addressing the urgent need to mitigate traffic congestion in Colombo, discussions centred on upgrading the railway system and standardizing bus and road transportation service. The implementation of a pilot project in the Colombo District was proposed as an initial step toward these improvements. 

Furthermore, discussions were held regarding the development of multimodal transport hubs in Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala and Moratuwa, aimed at improving urban mobility and streamlining public transportation.

The meeting also included extensive discussions on identifying underutilized lands belonging to the Railway Department that do not contribute to the national economy and implementing proper management strategies to optimize their use, the PMD said.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing Anura Karunatilaka, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and other senior officials from the relevant Ministries.

--PMD