President Mahinda Rajapaksa today made an inspection tour to observe the progress of the Southern Expressway, now nearing completion.

The President observed sections of the expressway at Kottawa, Kalutara, Elpitiya and Galle areas.

Before beginning the observation tour, the President met the engineers of the Expressway at the Colombo Outer Circle Expressway.

The expressway will have 11 entry/exit points.

Construction on the highway began in 2006 at a cost of $800 million. The Asian Development Bank, Exim Bank of China and the Japan International Cooperation Agency are providing financial assistance for the express highway project.

Later, the President Rajapaksa observed the construction of the new bus stand in Galle.