Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2011-08-03

Outer Circular Highway (OCH) Project ? Construction of Section from Kadawatha to Kerawalapitiya (Northern Section II)

? this Highway starts from Kottawa and traverses through Kaduwela, Kadawatha and ends up a Kerawalapitiya. It connects Colombo-Katunayake Expressway at Kerawalapitiya, Colombo-Kandy-Expressway at Kadawatha and Southern Expressway at Kottawa. The total length of this highway is 29.1 Km. and is planned to be constructed in three phases as follows:

* Kottawa - Kaduwela - 11 Km.
* Kaduwela - Kadawatha - 8.9 Km.
* Kadawatha - Kerawalapitiya - 9.2 Km.

The Kottawa-Kaduwela section is under construction by M/s. China Harbour Corporation of China with funding from Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). The contract for civil works of the section from Kaduwela to Kadawatha is to be awarded in the near future. The land acquisition work for the section from Kadawatha to Kerwalapitiya is in progress at present. The Colombo-Katunayaka Expressway is to be completed by the end of 2012 and the first two phases of the Outer Circular Highway is to be completed by the end of 2013. The proposal made by H.E. the President in his capacity as the Minister of Ports and Highways, to proceed with the work of the project was approved by the Cabinet.