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Network of elevated highways in Colombo and suburbs
Elevated highways are to link Colombo with key suburban towns, according to a three-year project being formulated now.
It is being worked out jointly by the Ministry of Megapolis and the Ministry of Highways and will be sent for Cabinet approval.
Megapolis Ministry Secretary Nihal Rupasinghe told the Sunday Times that a 21.6 kilometre-long elevated highway would be built from Athurugriya to Colombo Fort via Malabe, Battaramulla, Rajagriya, Dematagoda and Orugodawatta. Another elevated highway from the Kelaniya bridge would be linked to the project.
The elevated roads would be linked with the existing Colombo outer-circular road at Pore in Athurugriya and with the Katunanayake expressway at the Kelani bridge, he said. Another extension would link up with Baseline Road near the Railway Grounds at Dematagoda.
The secretary said the elevated highways would have access from Malabe, the Koswatta junction, Rajagiriya, Madinnagoda and Kolonnawa. This would be in addition to access from a point close to the Fort railway station, the Port City, the Kelani bridge and Dematagoda. It would later be extended to Duplication Road.He said that the proposed project is expected to be completed within three years as traffic is expected to rise with the construction of the Port City project.
Mr. Rupasinghe said the elevated highways would be one of the high priority projects to be started this year.
Road Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Nihal Suriyaarachchi said the estimated cost of the project would be about Rs. 130 billion and it would be worked out on a Build-Operate-and Transfer (BOT) basis in a 25-year period.
In a bid to reduce the number of people to be relocated, the elevated highways would be built mainly over canals and Port Authority lands.RDA Director General M.P.K.L. Gunaratne said the Government hoped the elevated highways would be as a major part of the solution to the ever-increasing traffic congestion in Colombo and suburban areas such as Battaramulla and Rajagiriya.
From Rajagiriya it would take about 10 minutes to reach Galle Face on this elevated highway, he said.