Expressways to make travel easier

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The much talked about Colombo-Galle Expressway was opened last week, filling a much needed infrastructure requirement of the country.

As Governor Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal said, this more than anything proves that Sri Lanka too could do things that other developed countries could do.

The promise of President Mahinda Rajapaksa was that this expressway would be built up to Matara. Going anther step further, it is now being extended to Arugam Bay, past the Hambantota airport.

The Southern Expressway could also be linked to the Colombo- Katunayake Expressway, enabling a person to reach the Colombo airport from the Southern Province without going through Colombo.

This could be achieved through the third highway link, which is the Outer Circular Road, which would link all highways.

This would also be linked to the proposed Colombo-Kandy highway and the Colombo-Jaffna highway.

The extension of the Colombo-Galle Expressway up to Matara is now in progress. According to the Road Development Authority, this is expected to be completed by 2013. The investment would be US$ 180 million and would be funded by the EXIM Bank of China.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan Business Corporation (JBIC) funded the first phase up to Galle.

Deputy Minister of Highways Nirmala Kotalawala has said that the Government has decided to extend the Southern Expressway to Hambantota and a feasibility study has been completed.

This would be ready by 2015, in time to host the South Asian Federation Games in Hambantota. It would also help the rapid development in the area which includes the international harbour and the airport.

Meanwhile, land acquisitions up to Matara have been completed and over 40 percent of bridges have also been completed.

In some areas, roads have also been laid. Unlike in the first segment up to Galle, people are now more positive and carrying out the work is much easier, said Road Development Authority Chairman R.W.R. Premasiri.

The extension of this stretch of the highway from Pinnaduwa (Galle) to Godagama (Matara) is expected to boost GDP growth to 10 percent in the South and would benefit industries and tourism in the deep South.

Already, over 1,500 have found direct employment from the project and a further 5,000 have found indirect employment. The new highway, when completed would allow a driver to reach Matara in just one and a half hours.

The length of this stretch is 30 kilometres and the total length of the completed Southern Expressway would be 126km. Deegoda, Kokmaduwa and Godagama will be the three access points of the new highway and plans are under way to develop these areas as modern townships. The project would greatly reduce travel time and promote easier movement to and from the Southern areas to Colombo, which should increase economic activity.

"Fisher folk, farmers and horticulturists in the South will be able to transport their produce to Colombo in a few hours. Investors will be more interested to set up factories in the South, creating more job opportunities." he said.