The Matara-Wellawaya road, jointly funded by ADB and the European Union, is closely linked to a network of tsunami-affected roads to be rehabilitated with funds from France, Japan, Spain, Sweden, US, and the World Bank.
The rehabilitation costs of the ADB-assisted 158 kilometer segment stretching into the Eastern Province are estimated to be 40 million dollars, the ADB said in a statement.
Visiting ADB Vice President Liqun Jin said though projects of this magnitude take many months to materialize, a sense of urgency still hangs in the air to restore normal lives to people affected by the December 2004 tsunami.
We must never lose the sense of urgency. The affected people have to return to their normal lives as quickly as possible, Jin said while inaugurating construction work with Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapakse.
Following the disaster, ADB allocated:
• 38.2 million dollars for roads,
• 41.1 million dollars for infrastructure and shelter,
• 4.8