President declares open Southern Expressway
Sri Lanka’s first Expressway was ceremonially declared open a short while ago by President Mahinda Rajapakse. The President opened the access road to the Expressway from the Pinnaduwa interchange in southern city of Galle.
President Rajapakse who is also the Highways Minister marked the opening of the Southern Expressway by unveiling the commemorative plaque at Welipenna, one of the eight interchanges on the toll road.
The E- 01 Southern Expressway will be open to the public from 6 pm today (27) following the end of the opening ceremony while the toll for the complete journey for a car will be Rs. 400.
The 95-kilometer expressway runs from Kottawa in Colombo district to Pinnaduwa in Galle district.
Constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs.70 billion, the expressway has eight entry points at Kahathuduwa, Gelanigama, Dodamgoda, Welipenna, Kurundugaha Hethekma, Baddegama and Pinnaduwa.
The four-lane expressway is expected to enable motorists to reach the port city of Galle within one hour at a maximum speed of 100 Km per hour.
A public rally to mark the opening of the Expressway will also be held at the Karandeniya public grounds under the patronage of President Rajapakse.
The second phase of the development will see the expressway extended to Matara and is slated to be opened in 2013.
Courtesy: Ada Derana / Pix by AFP
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lets do the good things to nation in general….do not take revange with any one…road development is very good sign…lets keep going netter without political issues….
The Prsident was the first driver on this highway when it was opened.
Did he pay the toll? If not, the IGP should issue a spot fine!
This is exactly what will happen to the citizens when they avoid the tax.
Only the rich drug runners who are in a hurry to transport their goods can afford to pay the toll.
The rest of the citizens will travel on the A2 at bullock cart speed.
The “Southern Expressway” is running in the wrong direction not contributing anything towards the reconciliation process! A “Northern Expressway” would have done much more for the national harmony.
Hope the passenger side tyres were adequately inflated to keep any out of balance forces in check when driving fast on the expressway. I wonder where the first lady buys her rice from as she looks very ample!
Dear Mr. Corniche, You are in the selected band of right thinking people
who can see good even among your adversories.You don’t
seem to be wearing tinted glasses or are slanted towards
one particular political party in judging national
developments.As a citizen of Galle I am proud to have
been a selected band of beneficieries of the first
Highway in Sri Lanka.With Mathota harbour and Mattala
Airport coming into operation and also the President being
from the area it is nothing but logical that the first
highway is directed towards the South.Second highway to
Katunayaka is in place .Highway to North is already blue
printed and it is a matter of time the entire Nation can
boast of a Highway from Hambantota to Point Pedro.
Hello AUJ thank you for your feedback & appreciated:
As said, am not in any political party or looking one side of the story, keep analysis the past and actual situations. If any once do good things in general should sound positively, in mean time do any wrong should express feedback without harming others. We are human and do mistakes, and make sure not to repeat the same in future. Look always biger picture with wide open mind & positively, as results entire your day will be bright. Every person should be good will ambassidor to the home, family and nation.”SMALL TOUCH WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE”
Why only the passenger side tyres? It is of paramount
importance that you check your vehicle for its road-
worthiness (THAT INCLUDES THE FOUR TYRES) and also that
the driver be sober and be of good health to withstand the
strains of driving.It is much more important when you
enter an Express Highway.
As for the nasty and the ugly aspersions cast on the
first lady and the question of where she buys her rice
from, let me assure you she does’nt need to buy any rice
as she gets their full quota from their own paddy fields
from MEDA MULANA. However if you sincerely want to know
where nutricious rice is available ,I being from the South
will direct you to any boutique down south and ask for
“nivudu haal” (brown rice with bran) and he will oblige.
Incidentally par boiled rice is not available here.
As in developed countries in the East and West, we need an annual road worthiness test to be called the Department of Transport Test. This examines the whole vehicle for roadworthiness. That is, mechanical, electrical, bodywork, tyres, exhaust etc. The DOT Certificate issued should be forgery-proof. The examinations to be carried out in garages by mechanics trained and qualified to carry out such tests. Bribery and corruption in issuing such certificates should be prevented by threat of heavy fines, prison sentences and loss of licence to operate such garages.
When the Vehicle Road Licence is renewed annually, this DOT Certificate along with the Insurance Certificate should be produced by the vehicle owner/driver. All vehicles should be checked by the police for this DOT cert, Insurance cert, Vehicle and Driver Licence in spot checks.
A central Driver and Vehicle Licence Authority should be established to hold computer records of all vehicles, Licensed Drivers and all Certificates mentioned above. The DVLA should send annual reminders to drivers/owners to renew their Vehicle Licence, when all the Certs mentioned above are also checked. Without these, no Vehicle Licence or Car Tax should be issued. Any vehicle not displaying such Vehicle Licence on the windscreen should be impounded for a fixed period until the Vehicle Licence is obtained and the cost of impounding is paid. Failure to do so will result in the loss of the vehicle. Legal provisions should be established for all these.
Sri Lanka’s first Expressway ceremonially opened a day ago by President Mahinda Rajapakse. The President opened the access road to the Expressway from the Galle.
REMOVED
This road is a technical and environmental disaster.
Firstly, it is two lanes either way with a dividing railing. A heavy vehicle travelling in the inner lane which loses control will enter the opposite lanes and 100kph and many lives and limbs will be lost.
The speed limit cannot be more than 65kmh. All the feeder roads are clogged 24 hrs per day and what’s the point in zoomimg at 100kph on the expressway?
With poor or non-existent illumination and the national fleet falling apart at the seams, the road is a death trap. The road of course will be cleared for VIP’s so that they could zoom. For the ordinary citizen, in a 1990 Japanese trash, the road is indeed a death trap.
Environmentally, the scenic photos demonstrate mass scale destruction of natural habitats for the purpose of establishing the road. Not only flora and fauna but communities have been significantly affected as well. Hon WW has every reason to winge about paddy fields and villages being divided mercilessly.
The road is just another vainglorious white elephant created by thoughtless men.