The Colombo Outer Circular Expressway is a highway in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was opened in sections. The 29 km (18 mi) long outer circular road network links the Colombo - Matara Expressway with Colombo - Katunayake Expressway and the proposed Colombo - Kandy Expressway and will provide an orbital beltway to bypass the city of Colombo and reduce traffic congestion. The project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The expressway is named "Arthur C. Clarke Expressway" in honor of Arthur C. Clarke, a famous science fiction writer and futurist who lived in Sri Lanka from 1956 to his death in 2008.