President vows to make 2025 pivotal year for SL

PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Disanayake yesterday declared that 2025 will mark a decisive turning point in Sri Lanka's economic, social, political and legal spheres, as he launched the long-delayed construction of the Central Expressway section from Kadawatha to Mirigama.

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“Today, I assure the people that we are committed to rebuilding Sri Lanka in such a way that such a crisis will never recur,” he said.

Speaking at the commencement ceremony, the President said the resumption of the 37-kilometre expressway section, halted midway during the economic crisis, was both symbolic and practical in restoring national development.

"A country generally loses a decade following an economic collapse.

But our Government is determined to change this within less than a decade, perhaps even in half that time," he asserted.

The Kadawatha-Mirigama section is estimated to cost Rs. 229.53 billion, financed through a mix of domestic funds and a concessional loan from China. Construction of the Kadawatha interchange and the first 500 metres of the expressway, costing Rs. 8.69 billion, is already underway using local funds.

The full section is scheduled for completion by mid-2028.

The event was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong and other representatives of the Chinese Government as well as several Sri Lankan MPs, Ministers and public officials.

President Disanayake highlighted the role of his January State visit to Beijing in reviving stalled infrastructure.