Nalin Manawadu, 48, has worked as a project coordinator in the company for more than two years. A veteran in coordinating, Manawadu's main responsibility is talking to local government and residents, which also includes dealing with demands and complaints from villagers in surrounding neighborhoods.

"At the very beginning, locals had no idea what Chinese people are doing here. So we explain to them and show them pictures (of the future)," Manawadu told Chinese media in an interview. He said the project has gradually been recognized and welcomed by locals because of the convenience in traffic it will bring.

"Many farmers (in Sooriyawewa) grow fruit and sell them to big cities like Colombo. But now it takes eight or nine hours to transport fruits and vegetables there. After such long travel, some fruits may be damaged," Manawadu said. "After finishing this construction, time of delivery will be reduced to two or three hours," he said, adding, "It will help increase the economy."

An environment-friendly road with strict quality supervision

"I believe it's the common wish for hundreds of Chinese and Sri Lankan working staff here to build a benchmark project that could represent friendship between people in the two countries," Jia noted.

The company said construction quality is strictly in line with design requirements and all materials are rigorously tested before application.

Wimal Kandambi, a representative from Sri Lanka's Road Development Authority, said the construction of Section 3 is "progressing rapidly with excellent performance in safety, environment and quality."