Outer Circular Highway |
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Background Over the past two decades the policy of the Government of Sri Lanka has been to rehabilitate the existing road infrastructure. As there was rapid increase in traffic volume during the past decade there had been a shortage of capacity to meet this demand. From the preliminary studies carried out to meet this demand it has been realized that rehabilitation and widening of existing roads to cope up with future traffic needs at a meaningful level of service is a difficult task without large scale acquisition and demolition of buildings and relocating service utilities. To improve the road network to fulfill this need, Road Development Authority has proposed a highway/expressway system. Outer Circular Highway (OCH) to the City of Colombo is one of the expressways proposed. On completion, this highway will provide access to existing "A" class roads and proposed expressways at the interchanges, and as such will serve as the basis for the entire network of Highways and Expressways in the country. |
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Project Objectives
The main objective of the Outer Circular Highway is to disperse traffic congestion and encourage development away from the highly populated urban areas in the Western Province achieving a better balance for growth.
The Outer Circular Highway (OCH) Project is 29.1 km in length, and it is on ultimate 6 lane limited access highway approximately 20 km away from city of Colombo connecting all expressways and ‘A’ class highways radiating from city of Colombo. The OCH is to be developed as a 4-lane Highway in the initial stage and the design speed is 80 kmph.
The expressway is implemented in three phases as given below;
| Phase - 1 | Section from Kottawa to Kaduwela | 11.0 km |
| Phase - 2 | Section from Kaduwela to Kadawatha | 8.9 km |
| Phase - 3 | Section from Kadawatha to Kerawelapitiya | 9.2 km |
Outer Circular Highway is proposed to achieve the following objectives.
- To provide an effective bypass for North-South bound traffic and to reduce through-traffic in the city of Colombo.
- To provide passenger transport to destinations in a minimum time period.
- To provide a quick passenger and good transport facility from airport.
Anticipated Benefits
- To encourage foreign investors by reducing travel time by improving infrastructure facilities.
- To minimise environmental impacts created by burning of fuel due to traffic congestion.
- To encourage the development of current or future growth centres by providing connections in between.
- Servicing of relatively short-distance trips between existing and future growth centres.
- Quick development of interchange areas will increase property value and creation of new employment opportunities.
Project Detail of Outer Circular Highway Project (as at 01 April 2012)
Road Name |
Length (km) |
Total Estimated Cost (Rs. Mn) |
Date of Commencement |
Anticipate Date of Completion |
| Outer Circular Highway - Phase I | 11 |
24,980 |
01 Dec.2009 |
31 May 2013 |
| Outer Circular Highway - Phase I I | 8.90 |
44,880 |
09 Jan. 2012 |
08 Jan. 2015 |
| Outer Circular Highway - Phase I I I | 9.2 |
An MOU has been signed between RDA and Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd, (MCC) for the submission of project proposal for the contract. Preliminary design is in progress under RDA. Contractor is preparing their technical & financial proposals. |
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