Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million loan to Sri Lanka for the construction of an elevated highway linking capital Colombo to a new bridge being constructed across the Kelani River.
The loan facility will finance the construction of about 5.3 kilometers (km) of elevated toll highway with related facilities between the New Kelani Bridge (NKB) and Galle Face in central Colombo in Sri Lanka.
The new highway is expected to ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity, and facilitate trade logistics in the country, the ADB said in a statement today.”Improved connectivity and infrastructure development are essential if Sri Lanka is to reach its potential as a trade and logistics hub in South Asia,” said ADB Senior Transport Specialist for South Asia Mr. Kanzo Nakai. “The new highway will help provide a direct link to the city center and the port from the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway through the NKB, improving connectivity and contributing to growth.”
