To ease traffic congestion

Elevated highways to link Colombo, Peliyagoda and Rajagiriya:

by Rohana Jayalal

The Government plans to build two elevated highways linking Colombo to Peliyagoda and Rajagiriya to ease traffic congestion and connect the suburbs to the Expressways.

An artist’s impression of the elevated highways

The construction of elevated highways will be one of the government’s top priorities and the project is due to begin in September, Director General of Road Development Authority (RDA), M.P.K.L. Gunaratne told Sunday Observer Business.

The heavy vehicular traffic on Colombo roads has adversely affected commuters and the authorities, particularly during peak hours.

A survey has revealed that the government loses Rs. 35,000 million annually due to traffic congestion in Colombo, and it translates into massive socio-economic and environmental losses.

Elevated highways will link Colombo with key suburban towns, according to a three-year project being formulated. It is being carried out jointly by the Ministry of Megapolis and the Ministry of Highways, Gunaratne said.

Chairman, Road Development Authority (RDA), Nihal Suriyaarachchi said the estimated cost of the project would be around Rs. 130 billion and it would be on a Build-Operate-and Transfer (BOT) basis over a 25-year period.

The elevated highways would be built mainly over canals and Port Authority lands, to avoid the relocation of people as much as possible. The government hopes the elevated highways would be a major part of the solution to the ever-increasing traffic congestion in Colombo and the suburbs such as Battaramulla and Rajagiriya, Gunaratne said.

It will facilitate uninterrupted transport of cargo and containers from Colombo and the suburbs and ease the traffic congestion in the Colombo urban area. It would take about 10 minutes to reach Galle Face from Rajagiriya on the elevated highway, he said.

The elevated highways will be linked with the Colombo outer-circular road in Pore, Athurugriya, with the Katunayake Expressway at Peliyagoda, while another extension would be linked with Baseline Road near the Railway grounds at Dematagoda, he said.

According to Gunaratne, a 21.6 km long elevated highway will be built from Athurugiriya to Colombo Fort via Malabe, Battaramulla, Rajagiriya, Dematagoda and Orugodawatte.

Construction work will begin soon on the two elevated highways, one 6.9 kilometres long, with three lanes on one side, will link Peliyagoda to Rajagiriya, with access to the Outer Circular Expressway.

It has also been decided to build an Expressway at an estimated cost of Rs. 94 billion via Battaramulla, Malabe, and Athurugiriya, It will be connected with the Outer Circular Highway in the second phase and the northern end will connect the Katunayake Expressway.

The second elevated highway, a distance of 5.8 kilometres, will be constructed from Peliyagoda to the Colombo Port, to ease traffic congestion in the city, at an estimated cost of Rs. 36 billion.

The projects will be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Japan, he said.

The elevated highways constructed to ease traffic congestion, would have access from Malabe, the Koswatta junction, Rajagiriya, Madinnagoda and Kolonnawa.

This will be in addition to access from a point close to the Fort Railway station, the Port City, Peliyagoda and Dematagoda.

It will be further extended to Duplication Road. The proposed project is expected to be completed within three years, Gunaratne said. The proposed elevated highways project would be one of the top most projects to be launched this year.