The National programme to develop 100,000 kilometres of rural roads was launched recently with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as chief guests. The project was launched under the policy manifesto Rata Hadana Saubhagyaye Dekma. The development work of a 52 km-stretch of Peradeniya - Rikillagaskada road via Galaha and Delthota also commenced. Picture by Nissanka de Silva
Infrastructure is one of the pivotal arms of the economy. It is the backbone of any country. No country can develop and prosper without a good network of roads, bridges and railways. Hence, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour manifesto and Policy Document laid emphasis on developing infrastructure including expressways, other trunk roads, bridges and rural roads.
In this context, the opening of the 22 Km Matara-Barawakumbura stretch of the Southern Expressway yesterday by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa (the prime mover behind the country’s expressway system) marked another significant chapter in the country’s development saga. When the entire Southern Expressway extension is open, travellers will be able to reach Kataragama from Kottawa in less than four hours.
This long-awaited opening will be a boost to the country’s road network and travellers seeking faster access to their destinations. The expressway will perhaps enable the Government to make fuller use of the Mattala International Airport. It will also benefit the users of the Hambantota Port, which is now in its second phase of development. Tourism in the Deep South will be another winner, since even the furthest destination will now be only around four hours from Colombo and may be half an hour from Kadawatha.
Central Expressway project
Expressways are a boon to any emerging economy but these are essentially multi-generational projects which will see any financial benefits only after the loans are serviced over many decades, not to mention the recurring maintenance costs. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has recently given instructions to expedite work on the Central Expressway (the previous UNF Government did begin this project, but it is in disarray due to various issues) up to Dambulla (an economic nerve centre) and commence work on the Ruwanpura Expressway from Kahathuduwa to Ratnapura. The Central Expressway project is to be implemented in four stages; from Kadawatha to Mirigama (37 km), Mirigama to Kurunegala (39.28 km), Pothuhera to Galagedara (32.5 km) and Kurunegala to Dambulla (60.3 km). Accordingly, the construction of segments from Kadawatha to Kurunegala via Mirigama, Kurunegala to Dambulla and Pothuhera to Galagedara of the Central Expressways also need to be expedited.
Once the expressway from Kadawatha to Dambulla is completed, access to Northern, Eastern and Western Provinces will become convenient. The objective of this initiative is to provide safer and faster traveling facilities to the public. It will create an economic corridor with an appropriate connection among road networks.
Several other expressway extensions are planned. It is vital to extend the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system now operational on the Katunayake Expressway to all other expressways for the convenience of regular users.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also instructed to find immediate solutions to ease the traffic congestion in the morning on Galle Road, Kaduwela, High Level Road and Piliyandala roads towards Colombo. Flyovers and tunnel passways will be constructed at identified locations where the traffic congestion is heavy. The possibility of constructing a road from Wanathamulla to Battaramulla should be explored, the President said. This will be a solution to the traffic congestion in Borella and Rajagiriya.
The President has also highlighted the importance of extending the Marine Drive parallel to Galle Road up to Panadura. The President has urged officials to secure the contribution of local engineers and contractors in all construction activities. Attention was also drawn to reserve parking slots within the city limits of Colombo and other major cities in collaboration with Urban Development Authority. The new multi-lane Kelani Bridge will also be ready in a couple of years, easing the entry and exit of traffic near the Airport Expressway.
The intensive focus on the existing and proposed expressway network has taken our attention away from the need to upgrade the existing road network. Here’s one interesting fact that most Sri Lankans do not know: Sri Lanka (total land area 65,610 Sq Km) is ranked 122nd out of 250 countries in terms of size, but is ranked 42nd in terms of the size of the road network, with over 114,000 Kms of motorable roads (not counting expressways). In comparison, bigger and more developed countries such as South Korea, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Norway and Iceland have much smaller road networks. Many bigger developing countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Laos, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Chile, Morocco, Ethiopia, Namibia, Myanmar, Madagascar and Afghanistan are literally miles behind Sri Lanka when it comes to roads.
Much of our road network consists of B, C and D grade roads which weave their way in and out of rural areas. Some of them, administered by provincial and local authorities, are not in very good shape. Regular viewers of news on local TV channels come across a news item or two highlighting the woeful state of a rural road almost every day. These roads are so dilapidated that State and private bus operators often refuse to run fearing damage to their vehicles.
The result is that schoolchildren have to walk for miles to the nearest school and even critically ill patients have to be carried by a stretcher until a passing vehicle can be hailed on a proper connecting road. Farmers in these areas are unable to bring their produce on time to markets in the city. The economic and social damage is immense, to say the least. Residents living on either side of these neglected roads often say that local politicians promise at every election to repair their roads, but once they are elected, everything is forgotten. This pattern should hopefully change with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the helm.
Public transport services
Having seen and experienced for himself the condition of some of these roads, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently instructed that around 100,000 Km of rural roads throughout the country should be upgraded without delay. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal made by Roads and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando on the President’s instructions to develop 100,000 km long alternative road system in order to provide easy access for highways and expressways. Roads that have not been renovated for nearly 10 years will be selected after considering the value of the road and the number of families using the road.
Even in so-called urban areas, there are some roads with huge potholes which have not seen the colour of tar for years. These must be repaired without delay. But at the end of the day, the road network can be widened and expanded only up to a certain extent. It is even more beneficial to augment the public transport services so that the insatiable appetite for private transport is curbed somewhat, reducing the massive burden on the road network.
In fact, while expressways are no doubt vital, the President should also focus on creating a better public transport network. Getting more private cars on the road is not the ideal solution, though the Government cannot deny anyone the right to buy a motor car in a democracy. Work on the Light rail Transit (LRT) for Colombo should hopefully begin this year and there are calls to replace the ageing fleet of buses with an electric, low-floor and disabled friendly bus fleet aligned to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the major cities. A better public transport network will help alleviate the traffic woes in major cities and also prevent air pollution, making cities safer and more liveable.
There should also be a bigger focus on developing the rail network in line with developing the road network.
A clean, efficient, punctual and comfortable train service on any given line can help take at least 500 cars off the road during the morning and evening rush hours. Much has also been said about electrifying the railway service for the last 70 years, but nothing has been done. The President must also give priority to electrification of the railways, at least the main two-three lines. That should form part of a holistic approach to addressing transport infrastructure issues in Sri Lanka.
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