A project to ease traffic congestion in Colombo by widening and developing nine arterial roads coming to the capital Colombo will commence, Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said. Speaking to the media at his Ministry, the Minister said congestion on main roads in the capital is actually caused mainly by the traffic at intersections.
“We have been informed by road users of several specific areas where bottlenecks are created during the morning and evening rush hours. We request the public to express their views and direct their suggestions in the coming days, so that we may optimise this project. The road users know better than those people who only read the maps and try to find solutions to traffic problems,” the Minister said.
He said that the traffic problem in nine main roads have been identified as one of the main reasons for loss of national wealth in billions in rupees annually.
“A project costing Rs.23,380 million which has commenced for the purpose of easing traffic congestion on main roads leading to the capital. The road network surrounding the Parliament Complex, Colombo-Horana Road, Kaduwela-Malabe-Colombo Road, Kiribathgoda to Battaramulla Road, Colombo-Ambatale Road and widening of the intersections of Baseline Road, developing the road system in the North-Colombo area, Wellawatte-Dehiwala Marine Drive and development of intersections linked to High Level Road have been identified as top priorities of this project as at now,” the Minister said.
“Our country suffers enormous financial and labour time losses due to road traffic congestion. A recent study by scholars of the Moratuwa University pointed out that the economic loss incurred due to traffic congestion on roads amounts to around Rs.397 billion annually. The study said that traffic congestion in Colombo City results in loss of around Rs.300 million daily. We must solve this problem once and for all so that we could fast track our development drive,” the Minister said.