President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will formally inaugurate construction of the second phase of Section 3 of the Central Expressway on Friday (May 29) at the Galagedara Public Grounds, the government said.
The phase covers the Rambukkana–Galagedara stretch, running from kilometre 13+800 to 32+450, and forms part of the broader Central Expressway project aimed at strengthening connectivity between the Central Province and the rest of the country.
Work will be carried out under seven contract packages awarded through national competitive procurement to qualified local contractors. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the award of those contracts earlier this month, allocating Rs. 112 billion to be funded entirely by the Treasury without new borrowing.
Friday’s groundbreaking confirms the timeline set out at the start of the month, when the Transport and Highways Ministry said the 19-kilometre section would break ground in May. The preceding Pothuhera–Rambukkana section is on track to open by March 2027.
The Central Expressway has been one of Sri Lanka’s largest live infrastructure projects for nearly a decade. Once complete, the Colombo–Kandy spine will bring expressway-grade connectivity to the upcountry railway hub at Rambukkana and the western approach to Kandy. The Kadawatha–Mirigama leg, at the southern end of the network, is around half complete and is due to be vested with the public by mid-2028.
