The Southern expressway will be connected to the Katunayake expressway via the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) from the middle of this year.
This will enable uninterrupted travel from Matara to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, a Road Development Authority spokesman said.
The construction of the OCH was carried out in three phases. The first phase of the OCH from Kottawa to Kaduwela opened in March, 2014; while the second phase of the OCH from Kaduwela to Kadawatha opened to the public in September, 2015.
Construction work on the third and last phase of the OCH from Kadawatha to Kerawalapitiya, extending 9.63 kilometres, is now in its final stage.
The first section of the OCH is connected to the Southern expressway at the Kottawa interchange, while the last stage of the OCH is connected to the Katunayake expressway at the Kerawalapitiya interchange.
The RDA said travellers could directly travel to the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport from Hambantota once the Southern expressway extension up to Hambantota is opened this year.
The OCH has been developed as a four-lane highway with provision for future expansion to six lanes. The design speed of the highway is 100 kmph.
The third phase of the OCH is targetted to be completed by June and the entire OCH is scheduled to be opened to the public in July.
Five overhead bridges were built along the OCH and 6.3 kilometres of the total distance is on the bridges, since the expressway runs through the Muthurajawela wetland area, as well as the lowland areas with paddy fields.
A water drainage plan has also been prepared with the approval of the Central Environment Authority.
Add new comment