Negombo Road mess: Some suggestions

It is indeed a pleasure to note that the rehabilitation of Negombo road from Peliyagoda to Dandugama is being carried out to provide a comfortable and improved road transport.

However, regrettably, motorists and the public have to face inconvenience while work is going on. Sometimes, vehicles do not move for a long time in the traffic snarl.

To overcome this situation may I make the following suggestions?

When construction of culverts is being carried out, work should be limited to one quarter of the width of the road so that three quarters of the road will be available for vehicle movement. It is noted in some areas, half the width of the road is broken for construction purposes, causing traffic jams and immense hardships for motorists.

In this connection I must commend the construction work carried out in respect of the underpass at Mabole for the Katunayake Colombo Expressway. Motorists had four lanes while the work was completed in four months.

The present contractor who is attending to the rehabilitation of the Peliyagoda-Dandugama stretch should be requested to expedite the work, given the inconvenience caused to the public and motorists.

Until the work is completed, light vehicles, to and from Jaela, should be allowed to use the Katunayake Expressway. This could only be motivated by reducing the toll from Rs. 200 to Rs. 100 and also giving adequate publicity. This suggestion is only a temporary measure.

Wattala