Oct 23, Colombo: A special discussion was held on Friday under the patronage of Minister of State for Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Nimal Lanza on the expansion of the roads in the Kochchikade city limits to four lanes on the instructions of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

A 5.6 km stretch from Dalupotha Junction to Thoppuwa Bridge has been identified to be developed with four lanes to ease traffic congestion in the Kochchikade city limits.

As its first stage, the development of 820 meters of the road in the Kochchikade city limits with four lanes will be expedited. The project’s current progress and current issues were discussed at length at the meeting.

Since business activities in the Kochchikade town may decline as a result of vehicles traveling on the Peliyagoda-Puttalam (A003) road to Anuradhapura, Puttalam and Jaffna tend to use alternative routes to bypass the Kochchikade town due to the congestion, State Minister Nimal Lanza pointed out the importance of implementing this project to save people's time, money and reduce pollution.

Minister Lanza also instructed the officials of the Road Development Authority to take steps to minimize the damage to the business community during the implementation of this project.

The business association also said they would provide maximum support for the widening of the roads to four lanes and the development of the city.

State Minister Arundika Fernando, Secretary to the Ministry of Highways R.W.R. Pemasiri, Chaminda Athaluwage, Chairman, Road Development Authority, Sardha Weerakoon, Director General of RDA and local government officials were present at the discussion.