Impacts of COVID-19 on Sri Lankan Road Projects: Multi-Class Delay and Resilience Analysis

Abstract

Road infrastructure delivery in lower-middle-income economies was severely tested by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet whether impacts differ across road classes and governance roles remains unclear. This paper investigates 55 Sri Lankan Road projects—Classes A, B, C, expressway and rural—active during the peak disruption window (Q4 2020–Q3 2021). A paired-response survey generated 110 matched client- and contractor-side questionnaires, supplemented by semi-structured interviews. Detrended Correspondence Analysis, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlations mapped latent impact clusters and quantified stakeholder divergence. Mean schedule slippage ranged from 14 % to 27 % with no significant road-class effect (p > 0.5). Contractors reported markedly higher health risk (56 % vs 36 %), deeper cash-flow stress (43.8 % vs 29.2 %) and only 6 % remote-work capability compared with clients’ 44 %. Labour attrition (14–27 %) and material shortages (< 5 %) were lower than published benchmarks for the UK (≈ 40–60 %) and Nepal (≈ 35 %), indicating that finance and workforce health—rather than inputs—were the principal bottlenecks. Adaptive measures such as precast adoption (45 %), staggered shifts and digital progress certification correlated moderately with shorter delays (r = 0.52–0.63). The study contributes (i) a stakeholder–road-class impact matrix to prioritise contingency support, (ii) a crisis-optimised rapid-survey protocol applicable in data-scarce settings, and (iii) policy guidance embedding pandemic-specific force-majeure clauses and real-time payment certification to hard-wire resilience. Findings extend project-resilience theory and inform emergency-financing frameworks for future systemic shocks.