Rs 280 Mn to widen roads and clear traffic snarls in Athurugiriya – Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana

The project to widen and develop the Athurugiriya intersection under the Ministry of Transport and Highways was launched at the invitation of Colombo District Development Committee Chairman, Member of Parliament, Dr. Major Pradeep Undugoda, under the patronage of the Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister, Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana.

People are suffering a lot due to the constant traffic jams in Athurugiriya city, which is a major city close to the capital of the country, where a large number of passengers and vehicles pass by on a daily basis.

According to a formal plan to remedy this situation, an amount of Rs. 280 million will be spent to expand and develop the Athurugiriya intersection.

Speaking on the occasion Minister Bandula Gunawardhana said: “Several decades ago, the area surrounding the city of Athurugiriya was in a very underdeveloped state. Due to various development projects, this area underwent a great social, economic and political transformation. We got to know the Athurugiriya area when we were young because of the Oruwala Steel Corporation.

In order to create industrial development in the country, political leaders such as Robert Gunawardena and Philip Gunawardena founded the Oruwala Steel Corporation under a foreign loan aid programme through which an era of transformation began in these cities.

Due to projects such as highways and Millennium City that were constructed in these areas afterwards, a large number of people from outstation areas came to live in this area. As a result, the traffic snarls and blockages on the roads increased day by day.

No government has started any road development project or any other project in Sri Lanka with the money of taxpayers. It is a myth. Although such projects are implemented with the tax money of the people in other developed countries, the people’s tax money in our country can only cover the expenses for the day-to-day running of the government.

Athurugiriya city development work was also stalled for a long time. Rs. 280 million has been allocated for this entire project. We are doing the necessary work to transform this city into a highly advanced city by creating a more favourable environment for the public and the business community at such a large cost.

We are working to resume the expressway development project running on pillars up to Athurugiriya as soon as possible. Under Saudi funds, the road development work from Walgama intersection to Homagama Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium will start soon. The province will develop through that and the country is changing for the better with its infrastructure developments. We should all work together for that change without being deceived by false political slogans.

The support shown by the business associations of the city and the community without narrow political objectives should be especially gratefully remembered in order to create an environment where the value of every inch of land in this area will increase by a large amount and benefit the future generations as well”, the Minister said.

The development work commenced with the blessings of the Venerable Maha Sangha led by Ven. Wetara Sirinanda Nayaka Thera, Chief Incumbent of Moratuwahena Bodhirukkharama Vihara and Ven. Ratmalwetiye Seelawimala Nayaka Thera, Chief Incumbent of Athurugiriya Pore Sri Maha Vihara.

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