The section of the Colombo–Kandy main road between the 96th and 99th kilometre posts at Lower Kadugannawa has been identified as a high-risk landslide zone, NewsFirst reported.
The designation rests on landslide disaster zone maps prepared by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO), on the record of previous landslides along that stretch, and on the landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
US$101.3 million allocated
Construction work on a project to mitigate the landslide risk in the affected areas is scheduled to begin. A total of US$101.3 million has been allocated for it, made up of:
- US$80 million in foreign loan assistance from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
- US$21.3 million from the Government of Sri Lanka
The project is scheduled for completion by December 2027.
A road with a landslide record
The Kadugannawa pass carries the principal road link between Colombo and the central hills, and the stretch now designated has repeatedly forced closures and lane restrictions. Traffic on the Colombo–Kandy road has been disrupted by landslides and rockfalls in the area on several occasions over the past year, with the NBRO advising the Road Development Authority on when sections could safely reopen.
The declaration lands the same day the Department of Meteorology’s forecast of rainfall above 100mm covers five provinces including the Central Province, in which the Kadugannawa stretch lies — see Met Department forecasts rainfall above 100mm in five provinces. Rainfall is the standard trigger for slope failures in the area, and previous NBRO guidance has tied reopening decisions at Kadugannawa to dry conditions.
Repair work on the parallel rail corridor through the same pass is also still under way; the Rambukkana–Kadugannawa section was reported as nearing completion ahead of an October resumption of Peradeniya–Colombo train services.
Not reported
NewsFirst does not name the implementing agency for the mitigation works, give a start date beyond “scheduled to commence,” or say what the construction will involve — whether slope stabilisation, retaining structures, drainage works, realignment, or a combination. It does not say whether traffic on the Colombo–Kandy road will be restricted while the work proceeds, which would affect the main route to the central hills for more than a year.
Nor does the report state the terms of the AIIB loan, or whether the designated 96–99km stretch is subject to any immediate restriction or advisory for motorists in the meantime. It is also not stated whether this allocation is a new facility or draws on an existing AIIB landslide risk-reduction programme in Sri Lanka.
No other verified newsroom had filed on this designation at the time of writing; Daily Mirror’s listings were not rendering.
