Sri Lanka, April 9 -- Construction of the Mahaiyawa tunnel on the Kandy-Jaffna (A-09) road on inaugurated by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on February 6 is now being accelerated to meet completion targets. Authorities have set a target of 273 days from the commencement date to complete the tunnel construction.Workers have already completed soil excavation and tree removal for the new tunnel, which is being built adjacent to the old tunnel beneath the Kandy-Matale railway line.

The Road Development Authority (RDA) has allocated Rs.700 million for this project. Officials initiated the construction of the new tunnel to address the heavy traffic congestion caused by the narrowness of the existing Mahaiyawa tunnel.

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