Ensuring a safe drive on :

'The Gateway to Wonder'

Driving fast on the Southern Expressway would be a fantastic experience for motorists once the gates are opened for them by President Mahinda Rajapaksa today.

But you may be little apprehensive of the drive with ever-increasing road accidents in the country. All your worries will be dispelled when you enter the first ever Expressway in Sri Lanka, build to international standards by local experts.

The eye catching greenery, with paddy fields on either side and the rural setting will be a part of your journey once you enter the 'Gateway to Wonder', at any point, as safety measures are maintained at top level to ensure your journey a safe and comfortable one.

Medium and side guard barriers, new jersey barriers, cyclone barriers and wire rope fences have been installed to avoid accidents on the road.

Row fences have also been installed on either side of the highway to prevent animals encroaching the Expressway.

"Street lighting is in place at interchanges, bridges, overpass bridges and at underpasses", the Project Director Southern Expressway Nimal Chandrasiri said, dispelling fears of safety measures.

In addition large sign boards with 200 metre legibility-distance have been installed to offer directions to the motorists. Warning signs and informative boards with details in all the three languages are displayed along the Expressway. No other billboards which would divert the attention of motorists will be allowed, he said.

Road markings have also been done according to internationally accepted standards with road edge line with 200 millimetre thick white colour continuous lines, line dividers with 150 millimetre thick white coloured broken lines and continuity lines with 150 millimetre thick white colour broken lines.

Night visibility has been improved with street lights at interchanges, bridges, overpass bridges and in underpasses with installation of road studs at the entry and exit nose, fixing reflectors to the median barrier and using reflective sheets on sign boards, he added. Glass beads have been added to improve the night time visibility of the road.

At each entry-exit point differently designed interchanges have been constructed and the most simple diamond type interchanges are there at Kahathuduwa, Dodangoda and Welipenna, at Gelanigama and Kurundugahahetekma, folded Diamond shaped interchanges while at Pinnaduwa trumpet type design.

Though these interchanges are complex in nature if the directions are followed before reaching the interchange that will automatically guide the motorists while entering the Expressway, with a clear view about their exact destination and from which point they could exit to reach their desired destination.

No motorist will be lost as sign boards are there in all three languages.

When you enter the Expressway you should not feel that you are alone on the road as the Road Development Authority officials and the police personnel are there on the Expressway on 24-hour basis.

"The RDA have three offices and we have set up our head office at Gelanigama and for these offices 500 officers from the RDA and 500 officers from the Police Department has been deployed for various duties. Police is assisting us for accident services, emergency situations and also tackle other situations", Director Operations and Maintenance of the Southern Expressway B.D.K. Bandara said.

"We have brought in new machines for the maintenance of the road and also for fire operations. We have also established a paramedic unit and facilities to handle accidents or fire. As we consider this road as special road, these officials will be deployed on 24-hour basis on seven days a week", he added.

At the same time Police and the RDA officials will monitor all the vehicles which ply on this road through CCTV cameras monitored from a control room.

"At the control room both Police personnel and the RDA officials will be there who could detect high speed motorists as we have imposed 100 kmph as the maximum speed", he said.

At the initial stages the areas around the interchanges will be covered through CCTV cameras as a large number of accidents in Expressways are expected to be reported closer to these interchanges and the CCTV camera system will be expanded to cover the other areas too in the future.

For these purposes three emergency centres have been established at Gelanigama, Kurundugahahetekma and Pinnaduwa. At each emergency centre two ambulances, fire vehicles and water bowzers stand by.

"In an event of an accident we have RDA vehicles, Police vehicles stand by on the Expressway on a 24 hour basis and these RDA vehicles and Police vehicles plying between two interchanges right throughout in opposite directions whereby they can detect an accident within a few minutes", he added.

According to Bandara, at any given minute there are four vehicles operating between two interchanges and the Police with a radio unit. When these mobile patrols inform the emergency call centre the message will be passed on to all the eight interchanges. Within a minute they will come to know about the accident and the emergency units will act according to the level of the accident. If there is a fire the fire brigade will reach the spot and the paramedics will also reach there. Within a matter of a minute or two they can access the place where the accident has occurred", he added.

Motorists who meet with an accident or any other incident can call them on 1969. "They have to give the exact location from the sign boards put up along the road indicating the distance", he added.

During the nights the motorists should make use of the diamond shaped indicators to make other people aware that they have met with an accident.

For these operations we have provided nine cars to the Police, nine 900 Hp, motorbikes six ambulances and two ambulances for each emergency centre, two fire engines for each centre, and water bowser for each centre.

"These vehicles have been purchased solely for this purpose and they will be stationed at the emergency centres on 24 hour basis. Apart from these vehicles RDA officials have also been provided with vehicles to monitor the Expressway at any hour of the day," he added.

At the same time motorists have also been instructed to be mindful of the condition of their vehicles before entering the Expressway as any breakdown on the way may lead to many accidents.

"It is better for motorists themselves to decide whether their vehicles are fit to travel on the Expressway", he added.

"If any vehicle breaks down in the Expressway they will be towed out of the Expressway by vehicles deployed by the RDA," he added.

The RDA is now planning to provide small booklets for motorists indicating the places where they could get their services done, if and when they encounter an accident.

The Police Department has opened a separate Police Division called the Expressway Police Division to look after the security of the Expressway on a 24 hour basis.

Under this Division, radio cars and motorcycle patrols will be deployed for Expressway duties. The duties will be 24X7 with Police personnel on a shift basis.

The Police Special Task Force has been given specialized training to provide paramedical services and also for fire- fighting services.

Apart from this Police Traffic Control units will be established initially at Gelanigama, Kurundugahahatakma and at Pinnaduwa. In all the three places the composition of these three units will operate and function. Kurundugahahetekma will be the Expressway Police Division headquarters.

In addition to these RDA will also have some patrol teams to help and support for patrolling, accident clearing and also identify the Expressway unroadworthiness vehicles.

Therefore, motorists should not be fear about their safety as they are about to have this express experience for the first time in Sri Lanka with the opening of the Expressway to the public.