Katunayaka and Matara Expressways to open soon
Vishmi Wijeratne
The Colombo Katunayaka Expressway up to the Bandaranaike
International Airport will be opened in September his year.
 Additional Director of the Expressway, Operation, Maintenance and
Management Division of the Road Development Authority, R. A. D
Kahatapitiya told Daily News Business that they also hope to open the
Pinnaduwa - Matara expressway by the end of this year. The outer
circular road (OCH) from Kottawa to Kaduwela too would be ready by the
end of the year. The OCH will provide access to existing “A” class roads
and proposed expressways at the interchanges. With the opening of both
the Colombo Matara Highway and the Colombo Katunayake highway this year,
people in the South could drive straight to the Airport avoiding the
city of Colombo.
Plans were underway to extend the Southern highway up to Beliatta and
then Hambantota and the Eastern province making both the Hambantota
International Harbour and Airport closer to the ‘City.’ Commenting on
the latest toll revenue from the Southern Expressway, he said that the
Southern Expressway from its inception in November 2011 up to June 2013
was Rs.1.6 billion, and the revenue raised from January to June this
year has been Rs. 0.6 billion.
“Comparing the toll revenue earned up to now this year with this time
last year, there has been a 10% increase in the revenue earned,”
Kahatapitiya said.
The average toll revenue per month being Rs. 100 million,
Kahatapitiya says that there were around 10, 000 vehicles traveling
through the expressway on week days while the amount of vehicles
increases up to 12,000 during the weekend.
“The best month in terms of toll revenue so far is April. This is
mainly because this is the holiday month for most.
“The toll revenue earned during the month of April was Rs. 110
million,” he said. Commenting on how the weather conditions effect the
usage of the expressway, Kahatapitiya said that the rainy weather
conditions does not affect the proceedings of the expressway. |
