Feb 25, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has deployed 16 luxury buses to operate along the Hambantota - Colombo expressway.
The deployment of buses took place this morning at the Hambantota bus stand with the participation of the Transport Minister Mahinda Amaraweera.
These buses are to be operated on the expressway from Hambantota, Ambalantota, Tissamaharama, Embilipitiya, Kataragama, and Tangalle to Colombo Fort.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the final stage of Southern Expressway- the extension from Palatuwa to Barawakumbuka, on Sunday.
The Southern Expressway links the Mattala Airport and Hambantota Harbour to the commercial capital, Colombo.
The length of the extension commissioned from Palatuwa to Barawakumbuka of the Southern Expressway is 58 km and it took Rs. 169 billion. The distance from Palatuwa to Hambantota is 96 km.
The sections from Matara to Beliatta, Beliatta to Barawakumbuka, Barawakumbuka to Andarawewa and Andarawewa to Mattala were completed under 04 stages and the cost for these four stages was Rs. 225 billion.
The 222 kilometers long Southern Expressway is the longest expressway in the country. With the opening of the new extension of the Southern Expressway, motorists will be able to travel to Kataragama from Colombo within 3 and a half hours.
The existing Matara- Godagama interchange will no longer be used in the future and the new Palatuwa interchange will replace it.
After Godagama, there are interchanges at Aparekka, Beliatta, Kasagala, Angunakolapelessa, Barawakumbuka, and Sooriyawewa.
