Engineer abandoned Port Access Elevated Highway project to drag 2 more years

The completion of the Port Access Elevated Highway (PAEH), a vital link connecting Colombo City Centre and the Katunayake Expressway (CKE) via the port, has been severely complicated after the Engineer Representative allegedly abandoned the project site.

Sources indicated that the Engineer, appointed by the Road Development Authority (RDA), left the site on October 1 without prior notice. This abrupt departure has forced the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCEC), to halt many construction activities, as contractual terms prohibit work without the Consultant-Engineer’s approval and certification. Construction experts now estimate the already heavily delayed project could drag on for at least another two years.

RDA Refutes Abandonment Claim

RDA Chairman T. Paskaran refuted the claim of a sudden abandonment, stating that the engineer’s contract had been completed. He assured that the RDA had already appointed a new engineer, an RDA employee, to oversee the work.

However, the Chairman did confirm previous delays were due to several factors:

• Alterations to the original plan.
• A delay in approval for these changes from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which loaned US$300 million for the project.
• Earlier setbacks included the COVID-19 pandemic, theft by drug addicts, and the discovery of a mass grave in July 2024.

Despite the current friction, Paskaran assured the public that the project, which has an estimated cost of Rs. 28 billion, would be completed and access granted by mid-2026. The CCEC, which was previously claimed to owe the RDA around Rs. 1.2 billion in delay charges, has urged the RDA to appoint a replacement Engineer and provide clear directives to proceed.

Source: 

https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Engineer-abandoned-Port-Access-Elevated-Highway-project-to-drag-2-more-years/108-322522