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Southern Transport Development Project
Updated: 23 March 2007
The Southern Transport Development Project (STDP) is Sri Lanka's first major expressway to be built since independence in 1948. It links Colombo with the southern city of Matara, running a length of about 135 km. The total project cost is estimated to be $295.9m including the JBIC financed section.
It is a controlled access highway with 8 interchanges at Kahathuduwa, Bandaragama, Dodangoda, Welipenna, Elpitiya, Baddegama, Akmeemana, and Weligama.
Sri Lanka has an extensive road network but most roads were built about 50 years ago and do not possess the capacity to cope with the increasing traffic volumes. Therefore there is an urgent need to improve the capacity and efficiency of the road network to meet the growing transport requirements of the country and avoid the road network becoming an impediment to development.
Around 25% of the population in the project area lives below the national poverty line. One of the primary objectives of the project is to facilitate development in the southern region. The secondary objective is to reduce poverty with improved access to employment opportunities and basic needs.
The other primary objective of the project will also contribute to produce a sustainable reduction in the country's very high road accident rate. Road safety is a major issue in Sri Lanka with a very high fatality rate and significant economic costs.
Projects 
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