Sri Lanka fast highway to have special emergency services

Apr 12, 2011 (LBO) - Sri Lanka’s first 100 kilometer per hour expressway from Kottawa in Colombo suburbs to Godagama in Matara in the southern province will have a specialist police division, paramedics and fire brigade, officials said. "There will be a special police division for traffic control, paramedics and separate fire brigade for the highway," Ranjith Pemasiri, head of Sri Lanka's Road Development Authority said.

Secretary Ministry of Ports and Highways Sujatha Cooray told LBO that the expressway will only be open to the public once these services are ready.

The construction of the southern express way which is to be completed in July this year and is scheduled to be open to the public later in August.

Authorities have decided to restrict access to slow moving vehicles like three-wheelers, motorcycles and tractors which cannot maintain the speed limit on the highway.

"This will be an access controlled highway and only roadworthy vehicles will be allowed to ply on this highway," Pemasiri said. "We are going to educate motorists, pedestrians and people in the area how to use this highway," he said.

Components of the southern transport development project are funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japa