The Cabinet of Ministers has approved three contracts worth about Rs. 3.33 billion to repair and improve roads damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.
The Cabinet approved proposals submitted by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to award the contracts to the lowest substantially responsive bidders, according to the Cabinet decision. Bids were called under the National Competitive Procurement procedure, and the High-Level Procurement Committee made recommendations after the bids were evaluated.
A contract worth Rs. 852.83 million has gone to ELS Construction (Pvt) Ltd. It covers the Gampola–Nawalapitiya (B013) Road from kilometre 8+500 to 16+300 and the Ulapane–Pussellawa (B431) Road from kilometre 0+000 to 6+440. The contract period is four months.
Jayasinghe Contractors (Pvt) Ltd received a contract worth Rs. 1,516.08 million for a 16.77-kilometre section of the B461 Road, from kilometre 11+000 to 27+700. The work also includes improving drainage and building retaining walls along the section from kilometre 27+700 to 30+800. The contract period is two months.
The third contract, valued at Rs. 965.37 million, has been awarded to RR Construction (Pvt) Ltd. It covers a 15-kilometre section of the Katugastota–Madawala–Bambaralla (B205) Road, from the 19th kilometre to the 34th kilometre. It also covers repairs to damaged sections and to areas hit by slope collapses along a four-kilometre stretch of the Wattegama–Kandenuwara–Wariyapola Road, between the first and fifth kilometres. The contract period is three months.
The three contracts total Rs. 3,334.28 million, excluding VAT and other applicable taxes.
Background
Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka in late November 2025 and caused widespread flooding and landslides, with heavy damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure in several parts of the country, including the central hill country.
National Competitive Procurement is a method in which bids are invited openly and contractors compete on price and ability to meet the bid requirements. Awarding a contract to the lowest substantially responsive bidder means choosing the lowest-priced offer that meets the main requirements set out in the bid documents.
Under Sri Lanka’s public procurement rules, contracts above set value limits are reviewed by procurement committees before the Cabinet takes a decision. The High-Level Procurement Committee mentioned in the Cabinet decision is one such body.
What it means
The contract periods are short, ranging from two to four months. Once work begins, the roads are expected to be repaired and made safer for the people who rely on them to reach schools, markets and hospitals.
Repairs and drainage improvements are also meant to make the affected sections more resilient to heavy rain. Travellers should continue to expect works on the listed roads while the contracts are carried out. The Cabinet decision does not give a start date for the works.
