When Mahinda Rajapaksa became President of Sri Lanka in 2005, the country faced two critical challenges: bringing an end to the long-running civil conflict and addressing decades of underinvestment in infrastructure. While he is most often remembered for presiding over the conclusion of the war in 2009, his legacy also rests on an ambitious programme of national development. Ports, highways, airports, power stations, schools, and health facilities built during his decade in office (2005–2015) reshaped the island and continue to influence its economy today. His development strategy reflected a long-term vision, one that sought to modernise Sri Lanka, decentralise growth, and prepare the nation for greater integration with global trade and tourism.
Two of the most visible projects of Rajapaksa’s presidency were the Hambantota Port and the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. Both were designed to create new gateways in the less-developed south of the country, easing Colombo’s dominance and spreading economic opportunity. The Hambantota Port, built with Chinese financing, was intended to capitalise on Sri Lanka’s location along the busy East–West shipping route. The Mattala Airport, inaugurated in 2013, gave the country its second international airport, providing redundancy for Colombo and supporting the ambitions of an expanding tourism sector. While critics frequently highlight the slow commercial uptake of these facilities, their strategic purpose was long term. International examples such as Singapore’s Changi Airport and Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port illustrate how such infrastructure requires time before delivering full returns. Large-scale projects of this nature also invariably rely on external loans, a standard global practice for funding capital-intensive assets. During this period, Rajapaksa also initiated the Colombo Port City, a vast land reclamation project envisioned as a financial and commercial hub. Expected to create 200,000 jobs within its first five years, it remains one of Sri Lanka’s most ambitious urban undertakings.
Prior to 2005, Sri Lanka lacked even a single expressway. Rajapaksa’s administration changed that, launching a series of projects including the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway in 2013 and the Southern Expressway, both of which drastically reduced travel times and improved logistics for trade and tourism. Rural infrastructure also received significant attention through initiatives such as Maga Neguma and Gama Neguma, which upgraded thousands of kilometres of village and secondary roads. Bridges such as the Manampitiya Bridge, opened in 2007 with Japanese support, and the Irakkandi Bridge, completed in 2009 with Saudi financing, further improved connectivity between provinces. These initiatives reflected a consistent investment philosophy: loan-funded but strategic, laying the backbone of a modern transport network essential for competitiveness.
Energy security and water management were also central to Rajapaksa’s vision. The Upper Kotmale Hydropower Plant, completed in 2013, and the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, finished in stages by 2014, significantly increased national capacity. By 2014, rural electrification had reached more than 97% of households. The Uma Oya Multipurpose Project, launched in 2010, combined irrigation, drinking water provision, and a 120 MW hydropower facility, transferring water from the central highlands to the drier southeast and promising long-term benefits for agriculture and energy. Renewable energy made its debut at scale with the Baruthankanda Solar Plant in Hambantota, commissioned in 2015 as the first utility-scale solar facility in Sri Lanka, generating enough electricity for 15,000 homes.
Rajapaksa’s vision extended beyond infrastructure into modern markets and cultural landmarks. The Central Fish Market Complex at Peliyagoda, opened in 2011 with Asian Development Bank support, replaced the outdated Pettah market with a modern facility that included cold storage, quality control laboratories, and logistics services. Sporting and cultural facilities were also prioritised, such as the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium at Sooriyawewa, completed in 2011 with a capacity of over 30,000 spectators. The Sandahiru Seya, a monumental stupa initiated in 2010 to honour fallen war heroes, stands today as one of the largest religious structures built in modern Sri Lanka.
Education and health received parallel attention. The administration launched a programme to establish 1,000 secondary schools and 1,000 Mahindodaya Technological Laboratories equipped for science and IT learning. Plans for 60 new university hostels were set in motion, expected to house 24,000 students, and more than 56,000 teachers were recruited between 2005 and 2012. The compulsory schooling age was raised from 14 to 16 years, aligning more closely with international standards. In healthcare, Japanese assistance helped deploy 124 ambulances and improve four secondary hospitals, part of a broader effort to strengthen services and respond to the rise of non-communicable diseases.
Strategically, Rajapaksa recognised Sri Lanka’s geographic advantage at the heart of the Indian Ocean. He supported China’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, aligning projects such as Hambantota Port with wider regional trade networks. This strategy not only brought in foreign investment but also elevated Sri Lanka’s standing within global geopolitics.
By the time Rajapaksa left office in 2015, Sri Lanka’s physical and economic landscape had been significantly transformed. Expressways, ports, airports, power plants, and educational facilities had been completed at a pace unseen in previous decades. Although some projects were criticised for high debt levels or under-utilisation, they were nonetheless strategic long-term investments designed to strengthen tourism, trade, and national growth. Like many other nations before it, Sri Lanka relied on borrowing to finance the infrastructure required to compete in the global economy.
Rajapaksa’s presidency was therefore marked by ambition and transformation. His drive to modernise Sri Lanka resulted in heavy investment in transport, energy, education, and healthcare. While debates over costs and debt continue, the assets created during this period remain central to the country’s economy and tourism industry. The true value of these initiatives is unlikely to be measured within a few short years, but across generations. His era stands as a turning point in Sri Lanka’s developmental story—when the nation bet on infrastructure, borrowed for growth, and sought to lay the foundations for a modern, globally connected future.
