ELEVATED HIGHWAY
FROM NEW KELANI BRIDGE (NKB) TO ATHURUGIRIYA
The construction of Sri Lanka’s first Public Private Partnership (PPP) road project, an Elevated Highway from the New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya will commence it construction work end of this year, Project Director of RDA, K. Selvanathan said.
He said that the Elevated Highway would be constructed in two phases.
“The first phase is from New Kelani Bridge to Rajagiriya (6.9 km) and the second phase is from Rajagiriya to Athurugiriya (17.3km),” he said.
The four-lane elevated highway will connect to the new Kelani Bridge, which is currently under construction at Orugodawatte and will connect to the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) at Athurugiriya.
According to the plan, two interchanges at Dematagoda and Rajagiriya would be made under the first phase of the project and another two interchanges would be made at Koswatte and
Hokandara under the second phase, which will connect to outer circular expressway via Athurugiriya Interchange.
Mr Selvanathan said that the elevated highway would connect to the other roads through the proposed interchange at Orugodawatte link-road to the Baseline Road at Dematagoda, Rajagiriya, Battaramulla, Koswatte and Hokandara.
“The highway is aimed to reduce traffic congestion within the Colombo City and its suburbs by connecting Colombo commercial city, Battaramulla Administrative city and Malabe Education Hub, which have been identified as one of the major axes for development over the next 10 to 15 years,” he said.
Mr Selvanathan highlighted that the project was a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project and the RDA had shortlisted nine private investors to carry out the construction of Phase I (New Kelani Bridge to Rajagiriya) of the project.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Phase I had already been reviewed by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA).
“We are still in the procurement stage and we are planning to obtain financial proposals from the nine investors,” he said.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror Metro, Mr Selvanathan notified that the RDA will have to acquire 78 blocks of private land for phase one which would be built across new Kelani Bridge to Rajagairiya.
He said that during the land acquisition process, a total of 1,100 families, who were living by the canals need to be relocated and the RDA was implementing measures for the resettlement programme as well.
Further referring to the resettlement process, he said that the proposed locations for the housing units were suggested at Dematagoda Aramaya Place, Mihindusenpura, Kolonnawa and Henamulla, Madampitiya.
He said that the RDA had initiated discussions with the Government for land acquisition and for the resettlement programme.
“The project was planned in 2015 and we hope to complete the first phase within two and half years upon commencement,” he said.
He said that to complete Phase I, the RDA had estimated Rs.33 billion including the maintenance cost.
“Investors will maintain the road for a concession period of thirty years, that means after thirty years the investors will hand over the road to RDA for maintenance,” he said during the interview.
It is proposed to form a PPP model for the project after analyzing the construction cost, operation and maintenance cost and toll revenue.
“Now we only have to obtain the Cabinet Approval for the proposed PPP model,” he said.
Explaining the benefits of the project, he said that the road would ease the traffic congestion of logistic transport from the harbour to other regions of Colombo.
The road will also reduce the prevailing traffic congestion due to the movement of container traffic within the Colombo City.
Completion of Phase I would also enable easy access to the Administrative Capital, Battaramulla from Colombo Metropolitan area, he said.
The first phase is from New Kelani Bridge to Rajagiriya (6.9 km) and the second phase is from Rajagiriya to Athurugiriya (17.3km)
The highway is aimed to reduce traffic congestion within the Colombo City and its suburbs by connecting Colombo commercial city, Battaramulla Administrative city and Malabe Education Hub, which have been identified as one of the major axes for development over the next 10 to 15 years
The highway is aimed to reduce traffic congestion within the Colombo City and its suburbs by connecting Colombo commercial city, Battaramulla Administrative city and Malabe Education Hub, which have been identified as one of the major axes for development over the next 10 to 15 years
FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY WILL EASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION
INTERCHANGES AT DEMATAGODA, RAJAGIRIYA, KOSWATTE, HOKANDARA AND ATHURUGIRIYA
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST PHASE TO RAJAGIRIYA TO COMMENCE END OF THIS YEAR
TO BE OPERATED AS A PPP
1,100 FAMILIES LIVING BY THE CANALS TO BE RELOCATED