ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Highway Growth Authority has re-opened all main roads after Cyclone Ditwah, and the Kandy – Colombo highway is open within the daytime from December 05, Director Normal Wimal Kandamby mentioned.
Cyclone Ditwah had blocked 256 main roads in 298 locations and 40 bridges had been broken.
Some roads had been impassable as a result of flood inundation, however there have been additionally rock falls, timber falling and landslides, he mentioned.
By December 05, 252 places had been cleared, Kandamby mentioned.
“RDA employees, from Deputy Administrators, to Provincial Administrators, District Engineers, Government Engineers, Technical Officers, Supervisors and labourers labored 24 hours to re-open these 252 roads,” he mentioned throughout a dialogue at Sri Lanka’s Authorities Info Division.
“Within the subsequent three days we’ll re-open all sections by working day and night time.”
At the start Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura and Puttalam was fully cut-ff.
The Kandy Colombo Highway was blocked as a result of landslides and rock falls in decrease Kadugannawa and a subsidence in Yakkala close to Colombo.
The highway subsidence within the Western Province was mounted in three days and all 4 lanes had been opened on December 05.
In Kadugannawa one lane was opened on December 04, beneath police supervision.
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As a result of vehicles halting close to massive rockfalls for sightseeing which was harmful, on December 04, visitors was restricted to important providers.
From December 05, Kandy – Colombo highway was opened for all visitors from 0600 am to 0600 pm.
From 600pm to the next morning 0600am RDA employees was clearing the highway and blasting rock, which had been very massive, he mentioned.
“The rocks are very massive, and we’ve got to blast them,” Kandamby mentioned. “There are additionally massive quantities of earth. It needs to be carried out in a scientific manner, in any other case extra earth will come down and in addition endanger staff.”
The Kadugannawa part will solely be open from 0600am to 0600pm till additional discover, he mentioned. (Colombo/Dec06/2025)
