K. Prasanna
The Marine Drive coastal road was identified as the most suitable route to ease traffic congestion on the Colombo–Galle main road. To date, six stages of this project have been completed. It stands as the longest-running development project among all those launched in Sri Lanka. Commencing in 2003, the project was suspended in 2021, thereby going down in history as a road constructed over a span of eighteen years.
A feasibility study on the extension of Marine Drive—from Dehiwala railway station to Panadura—was conducted by the University of Moratuwa. The existing stretch currently runs from Kollupitiya railway station to Dehiwala railway station, and the study was completed in 2021.
The Ministry of Highways allocated Rs. 38 billion for the project and Rs. 21 billion for compensating individuals who would lose their homes and properties due to the road development. However, although two years have passed since the feasibility study was finalised, the project has yet to commence.
According to information obtained from the Road Development Authority under the Right to Information Act, the proposed extension of Marine Drive from Dehiwala to Panadura was temporarily suspended in May 2023.
The completed six stages of Marine Drive are as follows:
The first stage, a 2.3 km stretch from Ramakrishna Road to Melbourne Avenue, commenced in 2003.
The second stage, covering 1.2 km from Melbourne Avenue to Glen Arbor, began in 2006.
The third stage, a 2.2 km stretch from Glen Arbor to Kollupitiya railway station, commenced in 2010.
The fourth stage, a 5 km segment from Ramakrishna Road to Frazer Avenue, started in 2016.
The fifth stage, a 0.5 km stretch from Kollupitiya railway station to Steuarts Place, began in 2019.
The sixth stage, a 1.2 km segment from Frazer Avenue to Dehiwala railway station, commenced in 2020.
Thus, the development of this coastal road has spanned approximately eighteen years. According to the Special Projects Division of the Road Development Authority, the seventh stage—extending the road from Dehiwala to Panadura—was scheduled to begin in 2021. Although this phase has been temporarily halted, the allocated budget remains unexhausted.
The estimated cost of the 7.9 km stretch from Kollupitiya railway station to Dehiwala railway station, completed across six stages, was Rs. 1,881 million. However, no information has been disclosed regarding the actual expenditure incurred. The construction work was reportedly carried out by the Western Province (Projects) Division of the Road Development Authority, using direct labour.
Reported costs for each stage are as follows:
Stage 1: Rs. 450 million
Stage 2: Rs. 132 million (including road widening and footpath)
Stage 3: Rs. 264 million
Stage 4: Rs. 306 million (including balance works and streetlamp installation)
Stage 5: Rs. 252 million
Stage 6: Rs. 477 million
Currently, construction of the next stage of the 7.9 km Marine Drive—under development for the past eighteen years—has been suspended. Given the prevailing economic and political crises in the country, it appears unlikely that the project can proceed in the immediate future. Nevertheless, if extended, the road would offer a significant opportunity to reduce traffic congestion and travel time on surrounding routes.
| Marine Drive Road under construction during the past 18 years | ||||
| Stage | Route | Year commenced | Length of road Km | Cost (Rs. Mn) |
| 01 | Ramakrishna Road to Melbourne Avenue | 2003 | 2.3 | 450 |
| 02 | Melbourne Avenue to Glen Arbor | 2006 | 1.2 | 132 |
| 03 | Glen Arbor to Kollupitiya railway station | 2010 | 2.2 | 264 |
| 04 | Ramakrishna Road to Frazer Avenue | 2016 | 0.5 | 306 |
| 05 | Kollupitiya railway station to Steuarts Place | 2019 | 0.5 | 252 |
| 06 | Frazer Avenue to Dehiwala railway station | 2020 | 1.2 | 477 |
| Project from Dehiwala railway station to Panadura has been suspended | ||||
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