(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has planned to construct eight car parks to ease traffic congestion in Colombo on the instructions of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The first phase of the project commenced with the construction of a Telecom car park behind Lake House, Colombo Fort, at a cost of Rs. 1,113 million. It is noteworthy that the cost is borne by the Urban Development Authority and this is the first multi-level car park to be built by government agencies. The 10-storey 18,444-square-foot building can accommodate 252 vehicles.
A large shopping complex is to be constructed on the 2,015 square feet ground floor. The first and second floors of 2,540 square feet are to be handed over to the Colombo Fort Police Station. Vehicles can be parked from the third floor to the ninth floor and it is proposed to construct 07 houses on the 10th floor.
Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Sirinimal Perera who participated in the event said the car park will help reduce traffic congestion in the city of Colombo.
“This is a delayed project as it was planned in 2013 but has not been started in the last five years. All arrangements have already been made to complete this as an expeditious project. The construction of the main car park of this project will be completed within 04 years. Due to the lack of parking facilities for oncoming vehicles and vehicles coming to the surrounding buildings, there is a lot of traffic congestion. We hope to construct 12 car parks islandwide and 08 of them will be built in the city of Colombo and the remaining 04 car parks outside Colombo. Our goal is to eliminate this traffic congestion in three to four years,” the official said.
