Road way extension victims
Posted on January 23rd, 2018
Janaka Perera
In Dehiwala people whose lands the government has taken over for the Marine Drive extension are in a limbo.
The authorities claimed the lands in July 2015 for the extension and valued the lands in July 2016. Although the owners and occupants of the houses on them have not yet been asked to move out they have so far neither been compensated nor are the road extensions begun. The owners cannot sell the land as a result.
A major road block has been created in Dehiwala with 15 lanes of traffic merging into just four lanes into just four lanes in Galle Road, Dehiwala. The flyover built at the junction has not eased the traffic congestion there.
Traffic from four major roads (Marine Drive, Galle Road, Duplication Road and Hospital Road fall into just one road (Galle Rd) between Kollupitiya and Dehiwala.