Jaffna roads to be widened

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 April 2005, 14:26 GMT]
Six major roads in Jaffna district are to be widened to accommodate two way traffic to reduce number of accidents, according to a decision taken at a conference held in the Jaffna district secretariat Thursday morning with the Government Agent Mr.K.Ganesh in the chair, sources said.

The roads that will be widened are: Jaffna-Kandy (A9 highway), Jaffna-Point Pedro Road, Jaffna- Kankesanthurai Road, Jaffna -Palaly Road, Jaffna-Manipay via Karainagar Road and Jaffna-Kayts Road through Pannai, Mr.Ganesh told Jaffna based journalists Thursday after the conference.

These roads will be widened by thirty feet by removing existing buildings and other structures. Compensation would be paid to land and house owners due to the widening project according to assessments carried out by the authorities concerned, Mr.Ganesh said.

The project would be implemented in two stages, the GA said. Under the long term plan Jaffna-Kandy (A9) highway will be widened with funding from Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Government of Japan has come forward to fund the widening of other roads, said Mr.Ganesh.

The implementation of the short-term project would commence within next three months and would be completed before the end of December 2006, Mr.Ganesh said.

Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam, Jaffna district parliamentarian, officials of the administrative division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Jaffna Municipal Commissioner and Divisional Secretaries attended the conference, sources said.