Construction of the Rs 32.5 billion Kandy Multimodal Transport Terminal has reached 55 percent completion, and the government expects to open it to the public before the end of July 2027.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr Prasanna Gunasena inspected the site on 7 November to review progress and discuss problems affecting the build, the Daily Mirror reported.
What is being built
The terminal covers about 10 acres and is designed to connect bus and rail services in one facility, reducing traffic congestion in the city centre.
Planned features include facilities for persons with disabilities, modern transport management systems, CCTV security, pedestrian walkways and road interchange facilities.
The project is funded through World Bank assistance together with domestic resources.
A wider Kandy programme
Three further transport terminals are planned for the district, at Katugastota, Thennekumbura and Peradeniya.
The broader development programme also covers improved pedestrian facilities inside Kandy city, a new overpass across the Kandy–Matale railway line, and upgrades to the city’s internal road network.
During the inspection, the Deputy Minister discussed implementation problems with officials and examined what coordination would be needed to resolve them. The report does not say what those problems are.
A long-running project
The terminal has been under development for several years. The World Bank approved financing for the Kandy Multimodal Transport Terminal Development Project in 2021, and the main construction contract was subsequently awarded under the wider greater-Kandy city development programme.
Readers should note that figures attached to this project have varied across years and across the different components of the Kandy programme, and the Rs 32.5 billion cost and 55 percent completion figures above are those given in Monday’s filing.
Sourcing note
This article rests on a single verified source. A search of EconomyNext, the Daily FT, Island, NewsFirst, Hiru News, Daily News, News.lk and Lanka Business Online returned no other filing on Monday’s inspection — the matches were earlier reports from 2021 to 2025 on the project’s financing and contract award, which carry different figures and are not reports of this event.
Not reported
The filing does not say when construction began or what the original completion date was, whether the project is running to schedule or budget, what share of the Rs 32.5 billion is World Bank funding, or who the contractor is. It gives no cost, timeline or funding source for the three additional terminals at Katugastota, Thennekumbura and Peradeniya, and does not say how many buses or passengers the Kandy terminal is designed to handle.