In Sri Lanka, the arterial roads radiating from Colombo City were well developed, but the roads connecting the provinces were not yet developed, and therefore, many vehicles had to pass through Colombo City to travel between provinces, causing traffic congestion in the city. Under these circumstances, Japan decided to build a new 29-km Outer Circular Highway, called the “Kottawa-Cadawatta Highway,” to connect to the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway (E03) leading to northern Sri Lanka and the Southern Expressway (E01) leading to the southern part of the country, so that people can travel efficiently between the provinces. The project was to connect the 29 km Outer Circular Highway to the E01, and to facilitate efficient inter-regional travel (Phases 1 and 2). This cooperation contributed to the construction of a highway in the suburbs of Colombo City that connects to the main national highway and the Southern Highway, thereby improving inter-provincial connectivity, alleviating traffic congestion in Colombo City, strengthening Sri Lanka’s economic base, and correcting economic disparities among regions.
© Source JICA