The Cabinet of Ministers has granted formal procurement approval for Phase 4 of the Central Expressway, authorizing the commencement of construction on the 38.5 km highway segment connecting Kurunegala to Dambulla at an estimated total investment of Rs. 233 billion. In a departure from previous externally funded highway projects, the Ministry of Highways confirmed that the Kurunegala–Dambulla stretch will be financed entirely through domestic government allocations. The project has been structured into 12 distinct contract packages to enable maximum participation by domestic Sri Lankan construction firms, strengthening local engineering capacity and retaining project expenditure within the national economy. The Kurunegala–Dambulla corridor serves as the primary transport artery connecting the Western Province and North Western Province to the North Central and Northern provinces. Once completed, the expressway segment will cut travel times between Kurunegala and Dambulla to under 25 minutes, bypassing severe traffic chokepoints through Ibbagamuwa and Melsiripura. Construction works are scheduled to commence before the end of 2026, with land acquisition and utility relocation along the surveyed trace largely completed by the Road Development Authority. The alignment incorporates five major interchanges, multiple wildlife underpasses, and elevated viaducts designed to protect low lying agricultural floodplains in the Kurunegala District. Local business leaders in Kurunegala welcomed the approval, noting that improved expressway connectivity will solidify the city's position as a major logistics, commercial, and agricultural distribution hub for North Western Sri Lanka.