The Ministry of Highways has dismissed the reports that construction work of the Central Expressway in Gampaha was temporarily halted.

Recent reports claimed that the construction of Central Expressway from Kadawatha to Mirigama came to a temporary stop due to the recent torrential rains at Gampaha Town and nearby areas, the Secretary of Highways Ministry said in a statement.

A meeting on the matter, chaired by Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando, has been held with the participation of parliamentarians representing the Gampaha District and officials of Road Development Authority (RDA), Department of Irrigation and the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation.

According to the statement, the issue of inundation at Gampaha Town and the nearby localities was discussed at length during the said meeting. The discussion has identified that more than 300 mm of rainfall within a very short period of time and neglected repair work on the drainage system and canals in the area as well as drain blockage on railway tracks as the main reasons for the floods.

The focus of the discussion also fell on taking necessary measures to avoid any inconvenience caused to the public due to the construction of the expressway, the statement read further.

A decision has not been taken to suspend the construction of Central Expressway, the Highways Ministry stressed, adding that development work on Kadawatha-Mirigama section of the expressway will go ahead.

However, Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga recently stated that construction work on the Central Expressway in the Gampaha District would be temporarily suspended until a final decision is reached after reviewing the construction plan.