Basil inspects Galle-Matara Expressway

Wednesday, 12 March 2014 01:24 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa this week inspected the 31 kilometre-long Galle-Matara Expressway to be opened on March 15. The road begins from Pinnaduwa, Galle and ends at Godagama, Matara. The new road constructed by local engineers under the Highways Ministry’s direction on the advice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa will make it possible for travelers to reach Kaduwela from Matara in one-and-a-half-hours. The maximum speed is 100 km per hour. Following the inspection Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that after completion the Kaduwela-Galle and Galle-Matara Expressway will become one expressway from Katunayake to Hambantota via the Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts by the middle of this year.

The objective of these constructions is to reduce traffic congestion in the Western Province and encourage the development of highly populated urban areas in the Western Province. The volume of vehicular traffic in these areas is around two million per day and most of them are compelled to move via Colombo city due to lack of alternative roads. Starting from the Kottawa entry point the 11 KM-long first section of the Colombo Outer Circular Expressway is scheduled to be completed in three stages. The first section was completed and opened on March 8. The second and third stages of this highway are expected to be completed by 2017. It will connect the Kaduwela-Kadawatha and Kadawatha-Kerawalapitiya stretches. Work on extending the expressway from Matara to Hambantota is scheduled to begin June. Work on the Northern Expressway has already begun and its first stage will be from Enderamulla to Ambepussa, the second stage from Meerigama to Pallandeniya and the third from Ambepussa to Kandy. Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody, Deputy Minister Nishantha Muthuhetti, Parliamentarians Dr. Ramesh Pathirana and Manusha Nanayakkara, Highways Ministry Secretary Ranjit Premasiri and a number of senior officials were among those who participated in the inspection tour.