Making the Southern Expressway safe for motorists

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Senior DIG Asoka Wijetilleka	RDA Chairman R.W.R. Pemasiri

The Southern Expressway would be the first expressway to be added to the road network of Sri Lanka. The agencies involved in the project are adopting strict safety measures to guarantee a safer ride for the people, who are eagerly waiting to enjoy this novel experience on Sri Lankan soil once it is open to the public.

It is important to make the public aware of the operational aspects of the expressway before it is opened for road users as it would be the first of its kind in the country. The Road Development Authority (RDA), the key agency behind this mega project, is taking steps to make the relevant agencies aware of the operational and maintenance aspects of the expressway before deciding on the final operational arrangements of the project.

With this objective in mind, the RDA jointly with the Japan International Cooperation Agency organised a workshop on ‘Operation and Maintenance of the Southern Expressway’ in Colombo last week. It was attended by well-known professionals from road safety agencies, engineers and university professors who are closely observe the progress of the project.

Making a presentation on ‘Geometric Features and Facilities Available in the Southern Expressway’, Director of the Southern Transport Development Project, Engineer B.V.D.N. Chandrasiri said that the expressway with a length of 95.2 Km from Kottawa to Galle, will be commissioned soon and will be beneficial in reducing travel time and transport costs since it has been designed as an access control toll expressway.

The road can be accessed only from Kottawa, Kahathuduwa, Gelanigama, Dodangoda, Welipanna, Kurundugahahathakma, Baddegama and Pinnaduva to the Galle Port access road.

Once completed upto Matara, it could be accessed from Imaduwa, Kokmaduwa and Godagama as well.

The interchanges will be linked to other roads at the points mentioned below:

Kottawa – Colombo Ratnapura (A-4 ) Road
Kahathuduwa – Colombo Horana (B 084) Road
Gelanigama – Panadura Ratnapura (A-08 ) Road
Dodangoda – Nagoda Mathugama (B-304) Road
Welipenna – Horana Aluthgama (B157) Road
Kurundugahahathakma – Ambalangoda Elpitiya (B 014) Road
Baddegama – Hikkaduwa Baddegama (B 153) Road
Pinnaduwa – Galle Udugama (B 129) Road and
Galle Port Access road (B594) Road
Imaduwa – Galle Deniyaya Road
Kokmaduwa – Weligama Kananke Road
Godagama – Matara Akuressa Road

According to Engineer Chandrasiri, although the expressway has been designed for a speed of 120 KmPH, the actual maximum speed permitted would be 100 KmPH. Discussions are still on going whether to impose a minimum speed limit on expressway users to take maximum advantage of the expressway.

To ensure the safety of the motorists , a number of measures have been taken when designing the road. Accordingly, medium and side guard barriers, new jersey barriers, cyclone barriers and wire rope fences have been installed to prevent accidents on the road.

Row fences have also been installed on either side of the road to prevent animals entering the expressway. “Street lighting will be provided at interchanges, river bridges, overpass bridges and at underpasses,” Chandrasiri said.

Signboards

Making a presentation on ‘Traffic Signs and Expressway Markings’, Deputy Director of the RDA, R.A. Sudath said different signboards in large sizes with 200 metre legibility distance have been installed to direct motorists. Different warning signs and informative signs with details in all three languages have been installed to direct the motorists, he said.

Light motor coaches such as passenger vans with more than nine seats and all buses having more than 33 seats come under the group 2. Motor coaches such as buses with more than 33 seats, light motor lorries such as lorries and trucks having a GVW between 3,500 Kg and 1,700 Kg and motor lorries such as lorries and trucks having a GVW of more than 17,000 Kg come under Group 3.

He said an awareness program to educate the public and motorists will soon be launched by the RDA and other relevant agencies, making use of electronic and print media, so that they will be well educated about the use of the expressway.

Role of the Police

Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police-in-Charge of Traffic Management and Police Field Force Headquarters, Asoka Wijetilleka, told the Sunday Observer that safety consciousness and observance of road rules are a must when using the expressway once it is open to the public. “It is important for the safety of the motorists as well as passengers. It is also dangerous to have unroadworthy vehicles of the expressway, he said.

“This will lead to severe traffic snarls when there are breakdowns and also affect the safety of other motorists using the expressway. We have also seriously considered traffic restrictions only if and when there are emergency repairs to be done on the expressway,” the DIG explained.

The DIG said that the other component the Police have looked at is information sharing among the Police and firefighting units, hospitals and the media so that prompt announcements could be made to make the public aware of any danger, bad weather conditions and other severe blockades due to accidents so that others can keep reducing their speed levels to avoid another mishap,” he said.

“These are little things we have talked about. A gazette notification has already been published restricting certain vehicles using the expressway such as bicycles, motorcycles, motor tricycle, motor tricycles vans, hand vehicles and hand tractors”, he added.

“Heavy motor coaches, combination buses, heavy motor lorries and vehicles having four or more axles are permissible. However, we are seriously considering heavy motor coaches and lorries and having discussions with the RDA to seriously consider road worthiness tests at least every month for such heavy vehicles. Without such tests, it could be rather dangerous to have them on the expressway because in the event of a serious breakdown, the whole stretch of road will get affected”, he added.

“Through this Division we will be operating radio cars and motrocycle patrols which will be exclusively used for expressway duties. These duties will be on, 24 hours, seven days a week. We will be working on a shift basis, but 24-hour patrolling will be available by the Expressway Police Division,” he said.

The other significant factor is with regard to emergency units such as fire fighting units and para medics units. These two units in a unique situation in Sri Lanka first will be operated by the Police for first time.

“We are right now giving them training. Paramedics we have selected from the Special Task Force and fire fighting units are also under training now. Therefore this is a unique feature in the Police Department where, for the first time, we are getting involved in fire fighting,” he added.

According to him, this unit and the traffic control unit will initially be based at Gelanigama, Kurundugahahetekma and Pinnaduwa.“We have identified Kurundugahahetekma as the Expressway Police Division headquarters. The reason is, once the Expressway is completed upto Matara, this will be the central point between Matara and Kottawa,” he said.

”In addition to these, the RDA is also having teams to help and support us for patrolling, accident clearing and also identifying unroadworthy vehicles. We are also intending to have traffic communication and information centres by the RDA besides our own Police communications, which will link up Gelanigama, Kurundugahahetekma and Pinnaduva highway traffic police units.

“We will also be deploying Police units at each of the toll gates. This is to ensure that there will be no breach of peace at the tolls gates due to various arguments and situations and also to give protection for the toll money collected at the toll gates. This is a security feature we are looking at on the Expressway,” he added. The Expressway Police Division will be in the charge of a Senior Superintendent and in the Division office at Kurundugahahetekma. “We will have 25 Policemen at each of these units.

“For the entire Expressway, we will have over 350 Policemen for traffic and security. For paramedics and firefighting units we will have 108 personnel. Altogether there will be over 500 from the Police itself for expressway duties,” he said. The radio cars and patrol cars are especially designed for the expressway. So it is with the paramedics and firefighting units, he added.

According to RDA officials, many safety measures will be in place after the completion of initial discussions among relevant agencies to make the southern expressway a safer road for motorists.