The Asian Development Bank-funded Second Integrated Road Investment Programme (iRoad-2) will upgrade 14 rural and regional roads in the Kalutara District at a cost of approximately Rs. 1.34 billion, with the project to be launched on Friday, June 13, Newswire reported. Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa will preside over the launch ceremony.
iRoad-2 is the successor to the original ADB-supported integrated road programme that targeted feeder and access roads connecting rural communities to district economic centres. The programme has previously rolled out across several districts on a phased basis, with widening, resurfacing and drainage improvements designed to reduce travel times and improve road safety. The Kalutara package is the latest phase in the ongoing roll-out.
The 14 roads chosen for Kalutara cover both interior and coastal segments of the district, with the works expected to benefit thousands of residents in agricultural and small-business communities. The Road Development Authority and the Ministry of Transport and Highways are coordinating implementation, with the Department of Rural Development supporting community-level engagement.
The launch comes as the government has continued to push ADB-supported infrastructure work as a counter-cyclical jobs and growth lever amid the Middle East-driven economic slowdown. The ADB has remained one of Sri Lanka’s largest multilateral lenders through the IMF programme period, with infrastructure, public-sector reform and climate adaptation as the main programmatic pillars.
Update — June 13: Launch ceremony
Minister Jayatissa officially launched work on four main roads in the Agalawatta, Matugama and Bandaragama areas on Saturday, June 13, as part of the broader programme, Newswire reported. The overall iRoad package covers both the Kalutara and Colombo districts, is valued at over Rs. 1,340 million and will upgrade more than 39 kilometres of roads, including carpet surfacing along with drainage and culvert improvements. Completion is targeted before June 2027, with a one-year maintenance period after construction.
Specific roads launched at the ceremony include the Horakandamulla road in Matugama (Rs. 25 million), the Rerukana Samaranayakapura road in Bandaragama (Rs. 42 million) and the Kanaththagoda road in Horana (Rs. 81 million). Jayatissa described iRoad as the government’s main rural road development programme in the district, aimed at improving connectivity and long-term road quality through sustained maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.
