A new road from Puttalam to Talaimannar along the sea coast, shortening the distance between the two towns, would be constructed and the surveying and land acquisition were in progress, acting Minister of Highways and Road Development T.B. Ekanayaka told The Island .

The road development programme started by former Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle would be continued. Construction of the New 61 kilometre Siyambalanduwa, Pottuvil, Karathivu road in the Eastern Province with 2.7 million rupees aid from the European Union, had already begun Ekanayaka said.

There were many other road and bridges development programmes initiated by the late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and all these will be continued without interruption.

A rural road development scheme with 10 million rupees allocated for each electorate was also being implemented with emphasis on repairing roads damaged by the recent rains and floods, he said.