Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The Cabinet approval was granted to award the contract for the construction of the elevated highway to Kelaniya New Bridge (NKB) via Rajagiriya connecting Outer Circular Highway at Athurugiriya to the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), co-cabinet spokesman, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said.

Addressing the weekly cabinet briefing at the Information  Department, the Minister said the approval was granted to the CHEC to complete the project within three years. 

“It has been given another 15 years to operate and earn their revenue. After 18 years, the company has to hand over the elevated highway to the Sri Lanka government, Minister Gammanpila said.

“The cabinet ministers decided to hand over the construction considering the company that takes the least amount of time to complete the project and the least period to recover their cost,” he said.

Accordingly, the most attractive bid was presented by the CHEC and therefore the cabinet ministers approved to hand over the construction,” the Minister added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)