Southern expressway: one year on

The Southern Expressway, Sri Lanka’s first expressway, celebrates its first anniversary on Tuesday. This landmark development in Sri Lanka has already earned Rs.1 billion as toll fees from the thousands of vehicles that had passed through its access-controlled gates.

The Southern Expressway was a new experience to Sri Lankan motorists, who were used to travelling ‘free’ on roads built and maintained at enormous cost by the central Government and municipal bodies. The maximum speed (100 Km/h) was another new experience, although there are some motorists who drive at this speed surreptitiously on well paved but uncrowded normal roads.

But the biggest difference the Southern Expressway made was not speed per se. It is time. A trip to Galle was nearly a three-hour affair on the congested Galle Road, some sections of which are still very narrow. Now Galle is only around one hour away from Kottawa and when the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) is completed, Colombo will be still closer to Galle. By using the expressway, motorists can save time as well as fuel, because there is minimal braking and slowing down. It is not only individual car and truck owners who have benefitted - the super luxury bus service on the expressway is enormously popular.

The Southern Expressway has also given us an inkling of things to come - the experience will be replicated on the BIA Airport Expressway slated to open next year and the Southern Expressway itself will be extended to Matara and eventually to Hambantota, to link the new International Airport in Mattala as well. The Government is planning a slew of expressways to Jaffna, Kalpitiya and several other parts of the country in addition to the OCH and several elevated highways. The Southern Expressway has laid a solid foundation for these fine efforts.

Fatal

Sri Lankan motorists have adapted remarkably well to the new conditions applicable to driving on an expressway, though there have been a few fatal accidents that could have been prevented. The words that I wrote in this column exactly one year ago, before the expressway was opened, still ring true today:

Police have detected many motorists who exceeded the 100 Km/h limit on the expressway. Some escaped with a fine but a few paid with their lives. At least one of them was also Driving Under the Influence. That is a strict no-no on any road, leave alone a 100 Km/h expressway. And at least one of the deceased drivers did not have the seat-belt on, which is an unpardonable sin especially on an expressway.

Even the backseat passengers have to wear the seat-belts to ensure better safety if the unthinkable happens at these speeds. The driver must keep an eye on the road - but should have a glance at the speedometer occasionally because one can go up to very dangerous speeds without even realising it. It also helps if you are not sleepy, sick or after sleep-inducing medicines.

One of the most important factors is the mechanical condition of one’s vehicle, old or new.

There is no law against using an old vehicle on an expressway, as long as it is mechanically sound. Some of the fatal accidents that happened on the expressway were due to negligence on the part of drivers to check their vehicles before entering the toll gate.

Even tyre pressure plays a big role at 100 km/h - it should not be too low or too high. There was at least one death caused by inadequate tyre pressure - a burst tyre resulted in a vehicle rollover that killed the driver. Apart from tyre pressure, the tyres themselves must be in a good condition - there is no ‘running on the rim’ here, literally.

The radiator and the vehicle coolant system must also be included in this inspection. Many vehicles, especially older ones, overheat at sustained high speeds and two vehicles burst into flames on the expressway probably due to this reason. It pays to catch a glimpse of the temperature gauge from time to time.

Conditions

Rain and night are difficult conditions on any road and unless you are a really good driver with excellent vision and cognitive skills, it may not be possible to push the pedal to the floor under these circumstances on an expressway. If you cannot handle 100 Km/h under these conditions, don’t. Motorists must follow directives/instructions flashed by the Road Development Authority’s mobile LED screens during bad weather. In any case, if the journey is not urgent or essential, motorists should check the weather beforehand. Rain or no rain, it is advisable to check the wipers, the windscreen washer fluid level and headlights (in heavy rain, switching on the lights helps other motorists) before setting off.

Safety is of paramount importance on any road, more so on a high speed toll way. It is heartening to note that most motorists have abided by the rules and regulations governing the use of expressways. Having gained experience and insights, they will be ready for the new expressways and highways that are coming up all over the country.

Highways are vital for any nation’s development. They connect people and cities. They bring markets closer. They spur development. By minimising the time spent on the road itself, they make it possible to get real work done faster. That is the aim of building roads that can take you faster to your intended destination.

Ten years from now, there will be a bigger network of expressways and highways crisscrossing most areas of the country.

It will be a massive boon for development and prosperity. The Southern Expressway has shown us the way in this regard. The future is here, now.