Final touches to Southern Expressway extension under way:

More expressways slated for 2014

By Ranil Wijayapala

More than two years after the first expressway experience of Sri Lanka with the opening of the Southern Highway in November 2011, people are now aware of the importance of having high mobility road network in the country to connect not only the Southern part of the country with the capital Colombo but also the rest of the country.

The Southern Expressway

The Kottawa interchange to the Southern Expressway and the Outer Circular Road

The starting point of Northern Highway at Enderamulla-a graphic sketch

When their two days journey to the south is reduced to just one day, and hours long travel time to Katunayake international airport shortened to just twenty minutes journey from Colombo, people are aware how they can save precious time when they are having a road that can take them to the desired destination in the shortest possible time.

Therefore, the country which struggled much to make its first expressway a reality amidst protests and resistance both at community level and political level, is now moving ahead with its planned expressway projects to connect the places of vital importance to the national economy and also to the people through an expressway network.

Now the Ministry of Highways, Ports and Shipping is ready to open the second phase of the Southern expressway upto Matara at any given time as final touches are now being made to the expressway to be commissioned soon for the motorists to reduce the present four-hours travel time from Colombo to Matara to just one and half hours.

Along with the opening of the second phase of the Southern expressway from Galle to Matara the first phase of the Outer Circular Road which connects all the expressways through an outer ring road of the Colombo city is also expected to link the Southern expressway upto Kaduwela.

According to the Highways Ministry officials the Outer Circular Road will also be opened to the motorists as each phase of the project gets completed to give the full benefits of the project to the people without waiting it to be fully completed.

"Therefore, the year 2014 will be another vital year for the road development sector as it is poised to make a major leap forward in developing the expressway network of the country, making if fully prepared to take up the challenge of making Sri Lanka the wonder of Asia", the official said.

The vital road linkage from Kottawa to Matara via Southern expressway and extending it to Kaduwela is another vital transport hub which cater to the motorists travelling towards Kandy through New Kandy Road and to the central and southern part of the country through Low Level Road.

"The two expressway links are set to be opened for motorists at the end of February or in the mid of March this year marking another landmark in the highways sector", the official said.

The second phase of the Outer Circular Road is also now in progress from Kaduwela to Kottawa and the construction work of the third and final phase of the Outer Circular Road from Kadawatha to Kerawalapitiya to connect Southern expressway to the Katunayake expressway.

Along with the opening of the southern expressway from Kottawa to Matara, the extension of southern expressway from Matara to Hambantota to connect the Hambantota, Magampura port and Mattala, Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport with the rest of the country will also be initiated, the officials said.

This will pave the way to connect the economic hub with the major economic hub in the Western Province through high mobility road link opening up many investment opportunities for both local and international investor in the remotest parts of the country.

Graphic sketch of the Northern Expressway to be constructed parallel to the railway line

Section of Outer Circular Road from Kottawa to Kaduwela now under construction

When the southern road links are moving ahead initiatives are now being taken to expand the expressway network to other parts of the country with the initiation of Northern expressway project to link the present expressway network with the Northern city of Jaffna, Central city of Kandy and the Eastern port city Trincomalee.

According to Highways Ministry officials the road has been designed to minimise the displacement of people from their settlements and damages to the environment, agricultural lands and also reducing the blockade of waterways throughout the trace.

He said the first phase of the project from Enderamulla to Ambepussa is expected to cost Rs. 130 billion and would be completed with Chinese assistance and the project will be handled by the Chinese on a Build-Operate-and-Transfer basis.

The expressway to Ambepussa will go through Horape, Ragama, Walpola, Batuwatte, Bulugahagoda, Ganemulla, Yagoda, Gampaha, Daraluwa, Bemmulla, Magalegoda, Heendeniya, Veyangoda, Wadurawa, Keenawala, Pallewela, Ganegoda, Mirigama and Bothale. The 52.8 km Enderamulla -Ambepussa stretch will have five interchanges, at Enderamulla, Gampaha, Veyangoda, Mirigama and Ambepussa and will have 50 overpasses and 30 underpasses.

The Highways Ministry along with the Road Development Authority is now conducting awareness programs to educate the general public about the project.

At the second phase the road will be extended 38 kilometres from Mirigama to Kurunegala. This will include the four interchanges at Mirigama, Nakalagamuwa, Danbokka, Kurunegala. This section will ply through, Mirigama, Alawwa, Narammala, Weerambugedara, Polgahawela, Kurunegala and Mallawapitiya.

The designing of the road has been done taking the maximum usage of uncultivated paddy lands and the lands adjacent to the railway track to minimise the damages to the public and private properties.

The road has also been designed to avoid the blockade of waterways by constructing the road in elevated form in the areas where regular floods are reported.

The second phase will cover a distance of 39 km with three interchanges at Pothupitiya, Dampalassa and Pallendeniya and there will be 30 overpasses and five underpasses.

The third phase of the project will include the construction of the 45.7 km motorway from Ambepussa to Kandy. This road will have interchanges at Rambukkana and Hedeniya and will pass through Devalegama, Pinnawala, Rambukkana, Hatharaliyadda, Hedeniya. A significant feature of his expressway is the construction of a one km long tunnel.

However the third stage of the expressway to be constructed from Kurunegala, to Kandy is now under consideration whether it to be constructed from Pothuhera to Katugastota via Galagedara or from Pothuhera to Gannoruwa via Rambukkana due to the changes made to the second phase of the project.

The expressways has also been designed to connect economic nerve centres in the country such as Dambulla by connecting the road from Kurunegala to Dambulla and then to Trincomalee and to the Northern town of Jaffna.

The major objectives of the project are facilitating a better transport network to the Northern and Eastern Provinces, meeting the needs of expected industrial development and demographic growth in the corridor and handling traffic at an adequate level of service by the year 2030. He said the government has appointed the SMEC International (Pvt) Ltd to carry out a feasibility study and environmental impact assessments for the project and studies are in progress now.

Meanwhile, the ground surveying and geo-technical investigation have been planned to be completed by end of this year.

Preliminary process for the land acquisition have just commenced.

"Under normal circumstances, it will take minimum 18 months to complete the process. To expedite this process, discussions are being carried out with relevant authorities to introduce a new compensation package for the affected parties. Hence, the land acquisition is to be completed within shortest possible time ", he said.

The expressway from Pallendeniya to Dambulla covering a distance of 62 km will be constructed with three interchanges at Pellandeniya, Galewela and Dambulla.

This stretch of the expressway will pass through Wallawa, Gokarella, Melsiripura, Omaragolla and Galewela, before reaching Dambulla.

"Therefore starting the work of the Northern expressway and the extension of other expressways to connect other vital cities in the country in the year 2014 will lay a strong foundation for the country to reach new heights in economic development as well as in the social development in the country", the official said.