Cycle race to celebrate the opening of Central Expressway

Text and Pic by Jude Denzil Pathiraja

The Highways Ministry with the Sri Lanka Cycling Federation and Sports Ministry has organized a cycle race to celebrate the opening of the second phase of the Central Expressway from Mirigama to Kurunegala.

“This is a great opportunity for cyclists to gain international level experience when they ride the new stretch of the expressway. The race is scheduled to start at 8.30 am from Mirigama Interchange and continue up to Yaggahapitiya Interchange to return to the starting point,” Johnston Fernando, the Highways Minister said at a press briefing held at the Ministry auditorium on Monday to announce the race.

Over 125 licensed cyclists of the Sri Lanka Cycling Federation are to compete in the race under the open Super category. There will be two more categories as the Under 19 Junior and Female. The winners of the Female category will get cash awards Rs 50,000 (First Place), Rs 30,000 (First Runner-up), Rs 25,000 (Second Runner up), and Rs 20,000 each to the third and fourth runners up. Winners of the Junior and Open Super categories get cash awards of Rs 100,000 (First Place), Rs 75,000 (First runner-up), Rs 50,000 (Second runner up) and cash awards up to the tenth best cyclist.

“When the Southern Expressway was opened the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa allocated several days for people to go and see it themselves before the expressway was commissioned for the public use. Keeping that in mind we acceded to the request to allow a cycling race on the newly constructed stretch from Kurunegala to Mirigama. The second phase of the Central Expressway is scheduled to be opened at 4 pm on Saturday (15) by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa,” the minister said.