By Yohan Perera  

While revealing that tenders will be called from contractors to develop the Eastern Terminal of Colombo Port during the second week of this month, Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardene yesterday said development work would be completed by 2023 . 

The Minister told a media conference that both the Eastern and Western Terminal would be developed by 2023 and thus the Colombo Port would become a leading port in Asia by then.  

He said the Eastern Terminal will be expanded under the proposed project where its length will be increased to 1320 metres from the current length of 440.  The yard will be expanded up to 75 hectares from the current extent of 20 hectares. The Terminal which will comprise of 9 gantries by the year 2023 will be able to handle 3 million containers with this expansion,” he said.  “A sum of $ 590 million ( Rs 115 billion) will be needed for the project and the government had already planned to generate funds for it,” he added.  

As per the first phase of the project the length of the terminal will be expanded up to 600 metres while six new gantries will be fixed according to Minister Abeygunawardene.