A discussion was held yesterday (16) at the District Secretariat Auditorium, under the leadership of Kegalle District Member of Parliament Mr. Manoj Rajapaksha, representing the political authority, and Kegalle District Secretary Mr. K. G. S. Nishantha, with the objective of informing the stakeholders involved in the construction of the proposed new alternative road from the Warakapola Anguruwella Junction to Ambepussa, and formalizing coordination among the relevant stakeholders.

Following the appointment of the new Government, the commencement ceremony marking the initiation of construction work on the second phase of this road project was held on 24 August 2026 at the Warakapola Public Grounds.

The main objective of constructing this alternative road is to provide an alternative solution to the traffic congestion that has persisted in the Warakapola town for more than five years. By facilitating convenient travel from Warakapola to the Ambepussa Junction, the project is expected to reduce the time spent in traffic congestion and enable vehicles travelling from Colombo to Kandy as well as to Kurunegala to reach their destinations within a shorter period of time.

The responsibility for implementing this road construction project has been entrusted to the Road Development Authority on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Road Development. Construction work is being carried out by Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd., one of Sri Lanka's leading construction companies.

A total of Rs. 4.9 billion, or nearly Rs. 5 billion, is being invested in this project, with the funds allocated from the provisions of the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The proposed road will extend for a distance of 2.32 kilometres from Warakapola town to the Ambepussa Junction and will consist of two lanes. Each lane will be 3.5 metres wide, making the total width of the two lanes 7 metres.

The project will also include three bridges constructed on pillars, two additional bridges, and eight culverts. A notable feature of the project is the implementation of special technical structures and protective measures extending over more than one kilometre to protect the existing canal and its banks, while also contributing to flood control.

The Road Development Authority expects to complete all construction work by August 2028, within a period of two years.

Another important component of the project is the implementation of land acquisition and an environmental protection plan through field inspections. With the commencement of the road construction work, the relocation of telephone, water and electricity infrastructure is also being carried out, enabling the road construction activities to commence rapidly from the outset.

Land acquisitions have already been carried out, while issues at several locations where further obstacles remain are being addressed. Meanwhile, construction work on the road has already commenced.

The event was attended by officials representing the political authority and relevant institutions, including the Chairman of the Warakapola Pradeshiya Sabha, the Divisional Secretary of Warakapola, the Provincial Road Development Authority, the Chief Engineer (Kegalle), the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, the Telecommunication Engineer, Sri Lanka Telecom, the Senior Superintendent of Surveys (Kegalle), the National Building Research Organisation, the Central Environmental Authority, Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd., and the Regional Irrigation Engineer (Kandy).