Sri Lanka: A9 highway in the North opens next week

Hilary Rajakarunanayake, Editor – Sri Lanka, Asian Tribune

Colombo, 22 May, (Asiantribune.com): The A9 highway linking the Jaffna peninsula with the hill country capital Kandy, in Sri Lanka is likely to be opened to the general public by next week, a Ministry of Highways and Road Development spokesman said.

The statement said that the highway, which was closed to the public in 2006 after escalation of the armed conflict between the troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), would be opened once clearance has been received from the Defence Ministry, that all land mines have been uprooted.

"Plans are afoot to develop and modernize roads in the north and work on some have already commenced," said the statement, adding that repairs have been completed on 83 km of this 321km road.

Basil Rajapakse, Senior Adviser to President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been spearheading road development in the North in recent times.

- Asian Tribune -