Dr. Sarath Obeysekera

The ceremonial laying of the foundation stone for the Kurunegala–Galagedara Expressway marks the beginning of another important chapter in Sri Lanka’s highway development programme. While politicians gather to celebrate the launch, the real test will be whether the project can be delivered on time, within budget, and without becoming another victim of bureaucratic delays and funding bottlenecks.

The success of this highway will depend not merely on engineering excellence but on effective project execution. The Government should seriously consider appointing a dedicated Resident Project Manager from the Road Development Authority (RDA) with full authority to coordinate the work of multiple contractors, utility agencies, local authorities, environmental regulators, and government institutions.

Sri Lanka has witnessed many infrastructure projects delayed not because of technical failures but because of poor coordination, slow decision-making, and interruptions in cash flow. Construction contractors must maintain large fleets of equipment, employ thousands of workers, and procure massive quantities of construction materials before receiving progress payments. This requires substantial working capital.

Many of the contractors involved may have acquired equipment originally brought into the country by Chinese state-owned enterprises that completed earlier expressway projects. Such assets should now be fully utilised to support local construction capacity. However, equipment alone cannot deliver a highway. Continuous access to construction materials is equally critical.

One immediate concern is the escalating cost of sand. Construction-grade sand has reportedly reached nearly Rs. 30,000 per cubic metre in some areas. If large infrastructure projects absorb available supplies, housing construction could face severe shortages. Authorities should therefore accelerate the development of regulated offshore and sea-sand dredging operations to ensure adequate supply both for highway construction and for ordinary house builders.

The greatest risk, however, remains project financing and cash flow management. Contractors often borrow heavily from banks to bridge the gap between work completed and payments received. If progress payments are delayed, contractors face financial stress, subcontractors remain unpaid, and project schedules begin to slip. Sri Lanka has already witnessed the collapse of major construction companies after prolonged delays in payments and excessive debt accumulation.

Strong governance is therefore essential. Procurement, valuation of work, certification of payments, and release of funds must be transparent and free from undue influence. The public expects highways to be built through professional management, not through personal relationships or informal arrangements.

From my own experience managing major foreign-funded projects, I recall the constant struggle to secure counterpart funding from the Treasury. On many occasions, project managers had to personally engage with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that critical payments were released on time. Without timely funding, even the best-planned project can grind to a halt.

For this reason, the Kurunegala–Galagedara Expressway requires an empowered project leader with direct access to decision-makers at the highest levels of government. Such a person should possess not only technical competence but also the authority to cut through administrative obstacles and resolve issues before they become crises.

The country cannot afford another project plagued by delays, escalating costs, or administrative uncertainty. The foundation stone has now been laid. What Sri Lanka needs next is disciplined execution, financial discipline, and unwavering accountability.

The measure of success will not be the speeches made on the opening day, but whether motorists can drive on the completed expressway on the day originally promised.