|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 6 April 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Colombo-Matara expressway takes off : Hundred kmph speeds in safety by Anton Nonis April will be significant in more ways than just being the festive month, for this year it will also usher in glad tidings in the form of construction work on Stage One of the Matara-Colombo expressway, Sri Lanka's first and only super highway. After many hiccups and road-blocks, the official ceremony, paving the way for the actual work, on the 127 km expressway took place on February 16. When completed, the expressway will bridge five rivers, have 16 overhead passes and will reduce the travel time to Matara by more than two hours by enabling motorists to maintain a steady 100 km speed limit. Experts on motoring have analysed that the 127 km Colombo-Matara expressway could be covered within about one-and-half-hours as against the long drag of four hours or more taken at present. The expressway will be constructed in 3 stages, with a five kilometre off-road from Pinnaduwa to Galle Port, as a special addition, to Stage One which is scheduled to begin within the next few days. Stage One which will be built in two sections, is scheduled to be completed in 2007 (construction period three years and one year for maintenance by the contractor). The construction of the first section, the Kurundugahahetekma-Matara stretch having a length of 60.1 kilometres, is funded by the ADB and the government and is estimated to cost Rs.11.5 billion. The next section, Kottawa to Kurundugahahetekma stretch of 66.9 km, is funded by JBIC and the government and estimated to cost Rs.18.7 billion. First initiated in 1990 the program took more than a decade to get off ground due to various obstructions and shortcomings. Relevant Cabinet Paper approving the project were signed in 1990, and after two years spent on pre-feasibility studies the final decision to construct the road was made in 1994. Work on the road began in 1996, initially, with filling and clearings, however, this was later abandoned due to non availability of funds. As the construction of an expressway was a major task and the government depend on foreign banks for funding, negotiations were made with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). According to RDA engineers, the ADB had agreed to partially fund the project, but on condition that the feasibility studies be carried out by them. Problems also arose with the pathway designed by Wilbur-Smith Association (WSA), which was not totally acceptable to the RDA. Finally a compromise was reached with the RDA agreeing to get 60 per cent of WSA's plan, to the RDA design. Detailed engineering design for Stage One was carried out by WSA, with the Moratuwa University carrying out the environmental impact assessment. That was in March 2000. This was followed by another major hiccup -land acquisition and resettlement. According to the RDA's resettlement division, a sum of about Rs.110 million had been paid as compensation to residents to had to be relocated and resettled. According to an officer of the resettlement division, over 1300 families have been resettled in the section from Kurundugahahetekma to Bope Poddala. A small number still remains to be resettled in the area from Bope Poddala to Matara. A total of 1200 houses have already been demolished to clear the path for the expressway. Each of them have been provided with a 20 perch block of land in the resettlement area to build their houses. While in a majority of the instances the RDA has provided areas for resettlement, in others the families have found locations of their choice. Work on the Expressway is scheduled to get underway within the next few days, and according to RDA engineers, the contractor is planning to deploy a workforce of about 2000 for Stage One. The bridges will be constructed over Gin-ganga, Parana-ela, Keembiya-ela, Madola-ela and Polwatte-ganga. The stage I will also see the construction of 16 overhead crossings. The inclination of the overhead crossings would be gradual, with each reaching a maximum height of six metres from the road. The crossing has been designed to elevate gradually in order to minimise strain on the vehicles. The road to be built at the same level on that of the Southern road will be 7.2 metres wide and will be initially divided by a centrally positioned guard rail. Subsequently it will be replaced by a precast concrete barrier. A three feet wide `hard shoulder' will be created on either edge of the road. This will be utilised as a bay to accommodate any breakdown vehicles or those after an accident. The object is to keep the highway clear on its entire length as speeds upto 100 kilometres are permissible on this road. Road safety measures on the expressway is being handled by `Swe Road' of Sweden which is acting as consultants for the road safety programme funded by the Nordic Development Fund and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). According to RDA Director, Lalith Fernando, who is responsible for safety measures on the highway, the Swe Road consultants are studying the safety measures currently in effect on the major roads in the country. Fernando said they are in constant touch with the Health Department, City Traffic and the Colombo Municipal Council and the Fire Brigade in this regard. Traffic congestions, the total number of vehicles entering the city and those going out, the number of road accidents and their frequency of occurrence, causes for accidents, the manner in which the accident victims are taken to hospital, reporting accidents to police are all being studied by the Swe Road consultants before framing out a `road safety' code for the expressway. Funds will be allocated to provide ambulances for the transport of accident victims to hospital. There are also plans to install a couple of bigger vehicles to tow accident vehicles away from the scene. Illumination for the highway will be provided by Sodium vapour lamps fitted in a linear fashion on the hard shoulder. Various safety measures such as reflective signs, road markings and road studs would be fitted on the road to guide drivers especially at night. The highway will also have two rest areas- one in each direction. The five kilometre off-road from Pinnaduwa to Galle port will also be built exactly on the same lines as that of the express proper, engineers said. According to project director N.M. Zarook, no traffic lights will be installed on the road. The erection of direction and sign boards will be fitted along the highway to guide motorists on the approach of intersections. The non existence of crossings on the road will enable motorists to touch speeds upto 100 km. Engineering designs with regards to JBIC funded Stage two from Kottawa to Kunundugahahetekma has been done by Pacific Consultant International (PCI). |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
