A section of the Mirigama-Kadawatha Central Expressway, which was under partial construction, collapsed on 5 May.
According to the Road Development Authority (RDA), the collapse involved a 35-metre-long concrete beam, with the other two beams now deemed at risk. The collapsed beam was reportedly laid in 2021. However, the authorities have not announced the cause of the collapse. Media reports cited the authorities’ plans to test the quality of all beams along the 17-kilometre stretch of road.
A technical report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year (in 2023) has revealed that Sri Lanka’s highway construction costs are alarmingly high, approximately three times the global average. The construction has been suspended due to the conditions of the IMF agreement
Several attempts made by The Daily Morning to contact the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Highways, Dr. Ranjith Rubasinghe, and the management of the RDA proved futile.