Northern Links

Aug 27, 2010 (LBO) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will give Sri Lanka a loan of 154.





4 million US dollars to modernise roads in the north which was ravaged by decades of war, a statement said.

The loan agreement for the project was signed Friday between the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the ADB, the statement said.

The total investment cost of the Northern Road Connectivity Project is 173 million US dollars with the Sri Lankan government contributing an equivalent of 18.6 million dollars.

"The main objective of the project is to improve road connectivity within the Northern Province and between the Northern Province and the Southern region in Sri Lanka," the statement said.

The project is scheduled to be completed by 30 June 2015.

Sri Lanka's 30-year ethnic war ended in May 2009, resulting in an economic revival and paving the way to rebuild infrastructure damaged or neglected because of war.

The project includes rehabilitation and improvement of about 170 kilometres of national highways comprising 108 km in the Northern Province and 62 km in North Central Province.

The project will also rebuild about 140 km of provincial roads and rebuild or replace selecte