RDA holds workshop on Operation & Maintenance for Sri Lanka’s first expressway

A workshop to create awareness and exchange views with a cross section of the 

stakeholders for the Southern Expressway, the first restricted access toll expressway in Sri Lanka, will be held on September 15 (tomorrow) by the Road Development Authority and the Ministry of Ports & Highways with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The workshop will be attended by related administrative agencies such as the Ministry of Transport, National Transport Commission, Department of Motor Vehicles, Provincial Council authorities of the Western and Southern Provinces, Sri Lanka Police, National Transport Medical Institute and agencies representing key user groups such as the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Automobile Association and Chambers of Commerce.

The workshop provides the opportunity for the Road Development Authority to explain and discuss the regulations, requirements and arrangements for operation and maintenance. The expressway is expected to be opened to the public later this year, and the Road Development Authority (RDA) hopes to build consensus and mutual understanding among the various agencies prior to its opening, towards ensuring their cooperation and support essential for its success. A range of initiatives are to be implemented by the RDA to create awareness among the public as well.

The 95km long section from Kottawa to Pinnaduwa of the Southern Expressway is co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and implemented by the Road Development Authority. Toll plazas, buildings and the toll collection system including ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) for the entire expressway are also financed by JICA. The expressway will initially open with a manually operated toll collection system, and subsequently upgrade to a multi-option state-of-the-art toll operation.

JICA’s concessionary loan assistance for construction is supplemented with technical cooperation for effective operation of the expressway, through technology transfer by Japanese experts, training for expressway management staff in Sri Lanka and Japan, and job-training of over 300 toll collection and traffic management staff.

The Southern Expressway is the first link of the planned expressway network of Sri Lanka. JICA also finances the Outer Circular Highway of Colombo, which will link the Southern Expressway with the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway.

Photo caption: Toll plazas under construction