Katunayake Expressway 26km Katunayake - Kelaniya Part to be opened in August 2013

19th March 2013, www.dailymirror.lk

Arrangements are being made to open the 26 kilometre-long Katunayake - Kelaniya Expressway, built at a cost of US$ 291 million, this August.

The Ports and Highways Ministry commenced the construction of the expressway in 2009 under the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who inspected the expressway recently, instructed the relevant officials to plant trees native to Sri Lanka on either side of the road, after conserving the marshy lands on either side of the expressway and cleaning the Dutch Canal.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that the true benefits of the Southern and Colombo-Katunayake Expressways can be reaped only after the completion of the Northern Expressway, the initial work on which has already begun.

Plans have been drawn up to constructing the Northern Expressway in three stages - the first from Enderamulla to Ambepussa, the second from Meerigama to Pellandeniya and the third from Ambepussa to Kandy.

Participating in a discussion at the Parliamentary complex on the construction of this expressway, Minister Basil Rajapaksa said the planning has to be done causing the least harm to human settlements and the natural environment.

The technical report on the expressway construction, the environmental report, surveying the area, geological aspects and the resettlement of people, who will be displaced as a result of land acquisition for the purpose, are now being studied since the project is expected to meet the needs that would arise by 2030.

Related Info :

• Colombo Kandy Expressway Changed to Include Kurunegala - RDA Sri Lanka

• Elevated Highways to Ease Colombo Traffic in Sri Lanka. 3 Roads Connect to Expressways Out of the City

• Colombo Outer Circular Highway Second Phase to Begin on February 18. 28km Beltway is to Ease Traffic Congestion of Sri Lanka's Capital

• Sri Lanka to Make Centuries Old Dutch Canal a Tourist Attraction. 14km Section from Negombo Lagoon to Kelani Ganga Estuary Now Being Developed


• CML-MTD Awarded Colombo-Katunayake Expressway Contract

Online Ticketing System at Sri Lanka’s First Expressway for Real Time Transactions at All Entry & Extt Points. Dialog Axiata Partners with Access Telecommunications Services for the System Implementaion

23rs February 2012, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Dialog Axiata has provided an on-line system for Sri Lanka’s first expressway enabling real time ticket transactions at all entry and exit points and traffic and revenue monitoring.

Its subsidiary, Dialog Enterprise partnered with Access Telecommunications Services which provided the required application platform and all Point of Sales machines for the southern expressway which was opened in November 2011.

A statement said the system was provided to the Road Development Authority (RDA) which operates the 95-kilometre expressway linking the capital Colombo with the southern port town of Galle.

In the system all Point of Sales machines are interconnected to the central server system hosted at the Dialog data centre.

"The solution provided by Dialog Enterprise would allow officials at RDA to get real time updates on information such as number of vehicles entered, revenue generated from each exit points and the registration numbers of vehicles that

have entered or exited the expressway."

Dialog Enterprise also provides mobile and data communication facilities for all the operational staff of the southern expressway, it said.

Dialog also provides a web hosting solution for the highway enabling the public to access information online.

Related Info :

• E01 Southern Expressway Bus Schedule and Fares

• Sri Lanka's Southern Expressway Earns Rs 151mn in Two Months. Average Daily Revenue Rs 2.5mn

• Colombo Outer Circular Highway Second Phase to Begin on February 18. 28km Beltway is to Ease Traffic Congestion of Sri Lanka's Capital

Colombo Outer Circular Highway Second Phase to Begin on February 18. 28km Beltway is to Ease Traffic Congestion of Sri Lanka's Capital

08th February 2012, www.colombopage.com

Sri Lanka Deputy Minister of Ports and Highways Nirmala Kothalawala says the second phase of the construction of the Colombo Outer Circular Highway will begin on February 18.

The construction of the 28-km expressway will be carried out in three phases and the work on the first phase of construction from Kottawa to Kaduwela has already commenced.

The outer circular highway will start from Kerawalapitiya along the Colombo - Katunayake Expressway to link Southern Expressway crossing A-4 highway at Kottawa and the main A-1 Colombo-Kandy highway at Kadawata.

The second phase of the project from Kaduwela to Kadawata at a cost of US$ 400 million will begin on the 18th.

The Ministry has estimated the third phase of this project from Kadawata to Kerawalapitiya to cost around US$ 290 million.

The Japanese government has granted US$ 630 million to complete the stretch of road from Kottawa to Kadawata.

The highway is expected to provide a circular beltway to bypass the city of Colombo and reduce traffic congestion.

Related Info :

• Sri Lanka's Southern Expressway Earns Rs 151mn in Two Months. Average Daily Revenue Rs 2.5mn

Sri Lanka's Southern Expressway Earns Rs 151mn in Two Months. Average Daily Revenue Rs 2.5mn

08th February 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Hemanthi Guruge

The Sri Lanka Government has earned over Rs 151 million from the Southern Expressway within two months of opening. The Southern Expressway is the first expressway in the country which was opened on November 27 last year. Southern Expressway Acting Director B.D.K Bandara told Daily News Business that Rs 70 million out of the total of Rs 151 million had been earned from the Southern Expressway during January. The administration records show an earning of Rs 4.6 million during the Independence Day.

The average daily revenue from the Southern Expressway is around Rs 2.5 million.

More than 530,000 vehicles have entered the Southern Expressway through eight interchanges within two months of opening.

Almost 96 vehicle accidents and 1,900 breakdowns have been reported within the second month of operation. Therefore RDA advises public to use vehicles that are in good condition.

A special bus service is being operated between Maharagama and Galle every forty minutes. A fare of Rs 400 is charged per passenger travelling from Maharagama to Galle, and vice versa.

The Southern Expressway will be linked to the Colombo- Katunayake Expressway, enabling a person to reach the Colombo airport from the Southern Province without going through Colombo. Construction of the next stage of the Expressway from Galle to Matara has already commenced.

The Southern Expressway from Pinnaduwa to Kottawa opened on November 27 enabling a motorist from Pinnaduwa to reach Kottawa within one hour.

Related Info :

• Colombo Kandy Expressway Changed to Include Kurunegala - RDA Sri Lanka

• Elevated Highways to Ease Colombo Traffic in Sri Lanka. 3 Roads Connect to Expressways Out of the City

Elevated Highways to Ease Colombo Traffic in Sri Lanka. 3 Roads Connect to Expressways Out of the City

12th January 2012, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka will build three elevated highways to ease traffic congestion in the capital Colombo connecting two central locations with expressways out of the city, a minister said.

Information minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said Egis Bceom International of France will carry out a feasibility study and prepare outline designs for the three expressways.

Higher economic and social development has increased traffic in the city requiring more roads, he said.

Extensive ribbon development along existing road made it impractical to widen key roads in the capital.

One elevated highway will run from Colombo's Fort area to Kottawa for 21 kilometres, where it will connect to an expressway to the island's south and an city outer circular road.

The second, also starting from Fort will run 5 kilometres to Peliyagoda where it will connect to an expressway to the country's international airport in Katunayake.

A third elevated highway will run from Colombo's Kirulapone area to Kadawatha and the outer circular road.

Several Sri Lankan universities will also assist in consultancy.

Related Info :

• Colombo Kandy Expressway Changed to Include Kurunegala - RDA Sri Lanka

• E01 Southern Expressway Bus Schedule and Fares

Sri Lanka's First Expreessway First Stage to Open in July. Bus Services Planned

15th March 2011, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's road development and transport authorities have begun planning bus services for the public on the island's first expressway part of which is set to open in July, an official said.

Express bus services will be allowed on the southern expressway stopping only at the 11 interchanges connecting it to the road network, Road Development Authority director-general R W R Pemasiri said.

The first stage of the expressway, from Makumbura in Kottawa to Piniduwa in Galle, will be opened to the public in July.

The maximum speed on the expressway will be 100 kilometres an hour and it will sharply reduce travel time between the capital Colombo and the island's south.

The RDA had begun talks with the National Transport Commission, which regulates bus services, on bus services on the expressway, Pemasiri said.

The authorities are discussing licensing, the number of buses and their frequency on the expressway to cater to travellers without personal vehicles, he said.

A fuel station will be set up at Dodangoda in Kalutara on the expressway.

Vehicles like three-wheeled auto-rickshaws, motorcycles, and tractors, and overloaded trucks will not be allowed on the expressway, Pemasiri said.

Related Info :

• Sri Lanka Southern Expressway Partly Opens by Mid Year to Fast Moving Vehicles

Sri Lanka Southern Expressway Partly Opens by Mid Year to Fast Moving Vehicles

04th March 2011, www.lankabusinessonline.com

A new expressway in southern Sri Lanka that will be partly open by the middle of this year will be confined only to fast-moving vehicles with slow-moving ones like auto-rickshaws and tractors banned, an official said.

R W R Pemasiri, director-general of the Road Development Authority, said the 126-kilometre southern expressway will be a toll road and also have cameras to control speeding.

The maximum speed on the expressway will be 100 kilometres an hour and the road will sharply reduce travel time between the capital Colombo and the island's south, reduce fuel and vehicle operating costs and improve comfort and reliability.

"We're planning to open the southern expressway from Kottawa, (a suburb south of Colombo) up to Galle (on the south coast) by the end of July or in August," Pemasiri told a forum on land transport strategies held by the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics.

The access controlled expressway will have 11 interchanges for vehicle to enter.

"There will be restrictions on the types of vehicle allowed to use the expressway, vehicles like three-wheelers (auto-rickshaws), motorcycles, and tractors," Pemasiri said.

"Also, we will prevent overloaded vehicles on the expressway. Overloaded vehicles plying on the southern highway will lead to deterioration of road conditions."

Vehicle axle load limits will be imposed to prevent damage and unnecessary wear and tear.

Slow moving vehicles like auto-rickshaws hold up other traffic on Sri Lanka's existing highways which are too narrow.

"The southern highway will be a toll road, we will use an electronic tolling system and we're going to use cameras for speed control," Pemasiri also said.

The southern expressway will be extended from Matara, a southern town which was the original end of the road, to Hambantota, further south where a new airport and port are being built to provide connectivity, Pemasiri said.

Related Info:

• Sri Lanka Southern Expressway Nears Completion. Links Colombo to Matara

Sri Lanka Southern Expressway Nears Completion. Links Colombo to Matara

06th January 2011, www.lankabusinessonline.com

An expressway linking the Sri Lankan capital Colombo to the south is nearing completion with one section expected to be open to the public by June this year, a statement said.

Work on roads near three cricket World Cup venues is also being expedited to cater to the large numbers of local and foreign fans expected for the event, the statement from the President's media unit.

It said 80 percent of work on the Colombo - Matara expressway is over.

The expressway is 126 kilometres long and stretches from Makumbura in Kottawa, a southern suburb of Colombo, to Godagama in the southern province.

The first phase of the road, from Makumbura to Pinnaduwa, near the southern town of Galle, is expected to be open to the public by June this year, the statement quoted RDA officials as telling President Mahinda Rajapaksa during a meeting.

The expressway will have 11 entry and exit ramps.

The expressway at Makumbura connects to a ring road called Outer Circular Road being built around Colombo to divert traffic and ease congestion in the capital.

The statement also said 30 percent of work on another expressway connecting Colombo with the international airport in Katunayake to the north has been completed.

The Katunayake expressway is expected to be ready by the end of 2012.

Rajapaksa has asked for work to be speeed up on roads being built or repaired near three cricket World Cup venues, the statement said. Sri

Lanka will host 12 matches in Colombo, Kandy in the central hills and southern Hambantota. India and Bangladesh are the other hosts of the World Cup, which starts on February 19.

Related Info:
CML-MTD Awarded Colombo-Katunayake Expressway Contract

Sri Lanka Plans Colombo Kandy Expressway to Cut Travel Time to an Hour

CML-MTD Awarded Colombo-Katunayake Expressway Contract

01st January 2011, www.dailynews.lk

CML-MTD Construction Limited has been awarded the subcontract to build the much anticipated Colombo-Katunayake expressway, in line with the Government’s acceleration to facilitate world class road network across the country.

As one of the top rated general contractors in the country specializing in rail and road bridges, road reconstruction and construction, marine revetments and structures and in earth moving, the company will undertake subcontract work for the construction of the 26-kilometre roadway which is expected to be completed by end 2012.

CML Construction Managing Director Dian Jayasuriya said, “We are committed to the Government’s vision of developing world-class highways in Sri Lanka. Our expertise in quality which is evident in the many islandwide projects that we have successfully completed is a testament of our strength as one of the best in the business.”

The Company has received the highest C1 grading in three construction sectors, namely highways, bridges and dredging and reclamation. The Company also has received ISO-9001:2000 Quality Standard certification for Earth Moving and Land Grading, Roads, Road Bridges, Railway Bridges, Industrial Parks, Irrigation Systems, Storm Water Drainage, Port Construction and Building of Revetments, Sheet Piling, Concrete Pile Driving, Pre-cast Concrete Products, Industrial Mining, Quarrying and Crushing since February 11, 2000.

MTD Walkers PLC is Sri Lanka’s only listed, fully fledged engineering and infrastructure development company, carrying out a comprehensive restructuring to consolidate its group investments. As a part of this restructuring, MTD Walkers announced a Rights Issue of up to 108.6 million shares (in the proportion of 19 new Ordinary Shares for each existing share) at Rs 33.00 per share. The new shares are on offer to MTD Walker’s shareholders for subscription till January 3, 2011.

The rights issue will capitalize liabilities of the company resulting from the acquisition of 100 percent of Northern Power Company Private Limited, a 30 mw HFO power plant located in Chunnakam Jaffna as the largest provider of electricity to the Jaffna peninsula, CML MTD Construction Ltd and other Companies. The balance of the Rights Issue proceeds will be used for capital expenditure and working capital requirements of the MTD Group of Companies.

Sri Lanka RDA Commissions Study on Future Expressways and Connecting Road Network

08th October 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's Road Development Authority has commissioned the Moratuwa University to do a study on the island's future requirements for expressways and connections with the existing road network, an official said.

Road Development Authority chairman Ranjith Premasiri said the survey, being done by transport and logistics experts at the university, is to be completed in three months.

"The RDA will decide where to build new expressways and the connecting roads in future based on this survey," he told Vimasuma.com, our sister news website.

Work on the southern expressway is also being expedited.

A section of the expressway between the town of Godagama and Makumbura in Kottawa is to be commissioned in April 2011 with about 70 percent of work already over, he said.

Another expressway is being built between the capital Colombo and the hill country capital of Kandy.

One section of this expressway up to the town of Ambepussa is to complete by end-2011.

Tenders are also to be called soon for another section of the proposed outer circular highway around Colombo that is meant to help traffic bypass the capital.

Sri Lanka Plans Colombo Kandy Expressway to Cut Travel Time to an Hour

o6th August 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

The Sri Lankan government said it has got Asian Development Bank funding to start work on an expressway between Colombo and Kandy in the central hills that will cut travel time to less than an hour.

Transport ministry secretary Wasantha Karannagoda said the ADB had promised 500 million dollars over the next three years for the first phase of the project.

"Land acquisition studies and detailed designs have been done and we hope to start the civil works from next year," he told a news conference.

"The expressway will reduce travel time between Colombo and Kandy to around 45-50 minutes with vehicle speeds of 100-110 kilometres an hour. It will be a four-lane highway with provision to expand to six lanes.

"This will be a big relief to commuters, enabling them to save time and fuel, and reduce vehicle maintenance costs."

Travel between Colombo and Kandy now takes about three hours and there is congestion on the existing road.

The planned expressway will be an elevated highway, built on viaducts or concrete pillars in order to reduce land acquisition and avoid difficulties caused by the danger of floods, Karannagoda said.

The first phase from Kadawata, north of Colombo, to Ambepussa will take about three and a half years. The second phase would extend the road to Katugastota, near Kandy.

"If we can get funds for the second phase we can work on that at the same time so the total construction period would be about four years," Karannagoda said.

The government had decided to do the project after a previous proposal to give it to a Malaysian company was abandoned, he said.

This was because the foreign investor's feasibility studies indicated the anticipated traffic was not enough to ensure profits within their time frame, he said.

Government spokesman media minister Kehaliya Rambukkwelle said the government might make the first stretch of expressway a toll road.

Related Info:
Colombo - Kandy Expressway by Road Development Authority (RDA)