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Proposed ICs on Colombo-Katunayake Expressway
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The construction work of this expressway was
started on 18th August 2009 and cost of the project is approximately US$
335 million. The Expressway which starts
from Peliyagoda and ends from the approach road to the Katunayake International
Airport. This will be connected to the
Colombo- Kandy highway and Kottawa- Galle highway in due course. This will become a road connecting the two
international airports in the country in Katunayake and Mattala, once the
Southern Highway is extended upto Mattala in its third phase.
The project, which basically aims to reduce travel
time between Colombo and Katunayake from one-and-a-half hours during peak
hours, to 20 minutes, is now at its final stages of connecting the Expressway
to the other road networks through access roads. Once vested on public, the 30,000 vehicles
travelling daily up and down on this road would be benefitted including the
tourists those who are visiting the Island. The other benefit is people will have the
opportunity to live away from the congested Colombo city if they can reach the
Colombo city within 10 to 20 minutes. Colombo-bound people from Negombo, Chilaw
and Jaffna too can use this Expressway by entering from the Bandaranaike Airport
junction. The main control room of the
Expressway is in Seeduwa.
There will be five interchange points in this
six lane expressway at New Kelani Bridge, Peliyagoda, Kerawalapitiya connecting
with the Outer Circular Highway, Ja-Ela and Katunayake. There are 42 bridges
and 100 Nos. large size box culverts.
The first two
kilometres of the Expressway from the New Kelani Bridge, to Peliyagoda
interchange will be constructed as a six-lane. From there it will be a
four-lane road for the motorists to travel at a speed of 100 kilometres per
hour.
Construction of this Expressway was
implemented on a loan facility extended by China. The Exim Bank of China is funding 85 percent of the
project and the balance is borne by the Government. The construction is done by
the China Meteorological Group Corporation, The local participation at this
project is also very high. The supervision is done by an Australian SMEC
Company.
The
officials of the Road Development Authority said that sea sand was used for the
filling of the road embankment and soft ground treatment techniques were
adopted where the ground conditions were poor. Once completed the road
network will provide fast and easy access to the country's north and south and
will avoid traffic when reaching the capital Colombo.
