Move to avoid traffic snarls in Colombo :

Outer Circular Highway to link key expressways

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Two decades ago, no one would have thought, the four towns , Kottawa, Kaduwela, Kadawatha and Kerawalapitiya, identical only due to their names starting with the letter K, would become towns with such significance in the present day context.

Today, as the country moves on a fast track development, these towns which had no significance in the transportation network in the country, are being transformed into one of the key junction cities linking the Southern, Central and Northern parts of the country, shifting the central transport hub from the Colombo city to suburbs.

Highway projects

The launch of major highway projects, has shifted the main transport hub from the Colombo city towards Colombo suburbs providing alternative means for the public to reach their destinations without having to travel to Colombo, which is time-consuming for motorists and passengers.

The Southern Expressway was opened to motorists in November last year. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Minister in charge of Highways opened the highway. The Kottawa town which had no significant importance earlier, became one of the key cities in the Colombo suburb opening one key gateway to the South from there.

Likewise the other three towns Kaduwela, Kadawatha and Kerawalapitiya are also set to be transformed into key cities as the Ministry of Highways is spearheading the Outer Circular Highway project linking the 'K' cities together.

Linking cities

President Mahinda Rajapaksa inspects a model of the OCH Kadawatha Interchange on February 17, launching the second phase of the OCH.

President Rajapaksa commissions the first phase of the OCH in December  2009

President Rajapaksa who also heads the the Ministry of Ports and Highways which is one of the prime mover to put the country on a fast track of development linking all cities in the country and linking the country with the other countries through maritime network initiated work on the Outer Circular Highway project at the end of 2009 to link major highways that are coming up in the future.

According to Ranjith Pemasiri, Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Highways the objective of the Outer Circular Highway is to connect the Southern Expressway, the Katunayake-Colombo Expressway and Colombo-Kandy or Colombo-Northern Expressway enabling motorists using these roads to bypass Colombo to reach their destinations.

"Through this we can minimise the traffic congestion in the Colombo city which had become a discouraging factor to people travelling to Colombo", he said.

Three stages

The construction of the Outer Circular Highway has been planned for three stages. The Southern section from Kottawa, Makumbura to Kaduwela was initiated in December 2009 and the first part of the Northern section of the highway from Kaduwela to Kadawatha also commenced from Kadawatha two weeks back with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"The first section from Kottawa to Kaduwela which is about 11 Kilometres and that 2.5 Km of the highway will be elevated to bypass marshy areas or water retention areas", he added.

At Kottawa, Makumbura the OCH will be connected to the Southern Expressway and also to the Colombo-Avissawella-Ratnapura-Badulla- Wellawaya A-4 road known as the High Level road.

Low Level Road

The OCH will also be connected to the Low Level road or old Avissawella road at Hewagama, Kaduwela. Once completed, the motorists using the Low level road can enter the Southern Expressway, Kandy Expressway and the Katunayake Expressway through the Hewagama, Kaduwela interchange of the OCH. The OCH also can be used as an entry point for containers coming from Biyagama Free Trade Zone to Katunayake. From Kaduwela, it will be connected to the Gampaha district across the Kelani River and then to Kadawatha. "The second phase of the project which was launched by the President on February 18 is about 8.9 kilometers and of that 4.5 Kilometers will be an elevated road", the Highways Ministry Secretary said.

Northern expressway

"The first two phases of the project is funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and that would cost Rs. 70 billion", he said. The OCH will link the Colombo-Kandy A-1 road and the proposed Colombo-Kandy Expressway or the Northern Expressway.

He said that the second phase of the project will be completed at Kadawatha with provision to connect it to the proposed Northern Expressway.

"There is no problem whether work on the Northern Expressway has not commenced, we will keep provision for that", he added.

The third phase of the project from Kadawatha to Kerawalapitiya with a 9.2 Kilometers stretch will commence shortly with funds made available for the section.

"We have signed an MoU with a Chinese company to obtain funds for the third phase," Pemasiri said.

Once completed the OCH will be connected to the Katunayake Expressway enabling motorists on the Southern Expressway to proceed towards Katunayake bypassing the Colombo city.

Travel time

"Those who come from the North-east and other areas can avoid Colombo which will reduce the travel time. The container traffic and transportation of goods towards Katunayake Airport and also to the Colombo port can use the OCH to avoid the Colombo city and to ease traffic congestion in Colombo", Pemasiri added.

The OCH will help expand Kottawa, Kadawatha and Kaduwela to be key townships. "A project funded by JICA will be implemented by the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development to develop Kottawa, Kaduwela, Kadawatha and Kerawalapitiya towns parallel to this project ", he said.

Kaduwela, a large Municipality in the Colombo Municipal Council with over 270,000 will be expanded under this project.

He said land acquisition for the first two sections has already been completed and land acquisition for the third phase from Kadawatha to Kerawalapitiya is now being done to commence work on the project once funding is made available.

"We are planning to complete this project by 2016 or by the end of 2015", the Highways Ministry Secretary added.