Western Region Megapolis
The Western Region Megapolis is an urban planning, zoning, and development area stretching from Negombo in the north to Beruwala in the south.
It hopes to create a Megacity that can match other economic hubs, such as Dubai, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo, and solve the issues of traffic congestion, garbage, slums, and environmental pollution.
[2][3][4][5] The project aims to foster economic growth and prosperity, good governance, the creation of an efficient and well-planned region, social equity and harmony, and environmental sustainability.
[7][8] The concept was initially mooted in 1991 by the then young Sri Lankan Industries' Science and Technology Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
[9] In 2004, the Singaporean Housing and Development Board's design subsidiary CESMA created the Western Region Megapolis plan.
When Wickremesinghe returned to power and the proposal was submitted to the Board of Investment (BOI), however, the end of the administration again stopped the project.
[10] After returning to power in 2015, Wickremasinghe requested Surbana Jurong, the successor of CESMA, to revise the plan to suit the newer needs.
Upgrading stations, rail tracks and signaling, communication and ticketing systems, and the introduction of new rolling stock have been proposed.
[20] The plan proposes a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system serving the designated Western Region Megapolis area within the Colombo District.
The project will consist of seven elevated and surface-level tracks to cover major public institutions in the city and the suburbs.
[23] In November 2017, the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development signed with a South Korean company, Seoyoung Engineering, to begin a feasibility study of the project.
It is planned to attract large scale industries in tires and tubes, electronic products, pharmaceuticals, and food.
New residential townships will be created to provide affordable housing for workers attracting real estate development.
Logistics City The Logistics City is strategically located in close proximity to the Colombo Port and the airport and is expected to span across a region of 306 km2.It will be linked to other areas of the project through multimodal connectivity, such as dedicated roads, expressways, and railway links for freight handling and transportation.
Industrial clusters are proposed for facilities such as transshipment, dry port, warehousing, cold storage, vehicle repair, and cargo distribution.
With a mission to utilize science and technology to increase the wealth of the community by promoting the culture of innovation and the competitiveness of associated businesses, industries and knowledge-based institutions, the project plans to contain high-tech research and development centers, incubation centers, and high-tech industries with all the requisite support services and facilities and a dedicated technological university.
The city will also contain shopping complexes, cinemas, schools, recreational areas, parking blocks, and a National Space Technology Hub, including Ground Station infrastructure for receiving and distribution of Earth Observation Satellite Data.
[6][7] The first phase of the project started in September 2016 with initial investments close to 20 billion Rupees by universities and the Arthur C. Clark Institution for Modern Technologies.
