Southern Expressway Full Of Potholes
- Government refuses to accept the Southern Expressway
- Chinese Contractor asked to recarpet sections of the highway
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
The government has faulted the Chinese contractor of the Southern Expressway for the poor carpeting of the highway and has ordered an immediate recarpeting before its opening scheduled for November 18 to coincide with President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s birthday.
The Chinese contractor of the project, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has agreed to reconstruct the carpeting at its expense after the government claimed it would not accept the highway if it was not up to standard.
Deputy Highways Minister Nirmala Kothalawala told The Sunday Leader that the carpeting on certain parts of the Southern Expressway on a 6-7 kilometer stretch has not been properly laid. Kothalawala explained that cracks begin to appear when the carpeting is not done properly.
He said that once the highway was completed, a thorough test was carried out to test the road, the bridges and the culverts. “It was then that we found that certain areas on a 6-7 kilometer stretch had not been carpeted properly,” he added. Kothalawala said the government had immediately informed the Chinese contractor that the highway would not be accepted if it was not up to standard.
“The contractor agreed and they got down a special machine for the recarpeting. The work is now being completed,” the Minister said. Kothalawala reiterated that the Southern Expressway would be opened as scheduled on November 18.
Though the project was initially estimated to cost US$ 348.75 million, costs escalated to US$ 741.1 million. The Southern Expressway is the first expressway in Sri Lanka. It runs from Kottawa to Matara (126 km) and includes a Galle Fort Access road.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan Bank of International Corporation (JBIC) are the main funding agencies for the project.
The Expressway is to be eventually extended up to Hambantota.
Another case in which “Konde Bandapu Cheenas” taking the “Konde Kapapu Cheenas” for a ride, like what happened in Hambantota harbour.
Good decision the GOSL. We want to tell that this is extremly sub-standard road project in SriLanka.
There will be more pot holes once the road is put to use.It is a known fact that chinese work is inferior.Well we will hjave to learn the hard way.This is just the beginning of chain of events
Isn’t it shocking that a contractor has been asked to remediate defects found during final inspection before the project hand over? This must be a another first in the contracting history.. only a Rajapaksa government would encounter….
All roads lead to Hambanthota
Don’t pay the Full amount to Contractor.untill job is done to RDA satisfaction.
when u pressure the contractor to open the road before president’s b’day, this will be the output.
i think sri lanka might announce holiday from next year on president’s bday
So long the Rajapaskhes govern, pot holes can even add to every corners not only the countrys highway. Once upon a time we had good politicians in the country, but today, just name me one single good sort of policians in the current regime- let alone – those who earned huge respect as professors do the same – Profs. Wejsigne and G L are blind folded by brain washing machineries of the current rulers. Why is the question i raise is.. why ? is that a service to the nation or – revenge from the nation.
good comment. good thing about doing business with china opposed to western democracies is the president just needs to make one phone call to hu jin tow and the Chinese govt will eat the contractor alive.
The application of the centrifugal force and the proper banking of the road to counteract that force is a brief requirement in the good highway design. If this is absent the accidents are inevitable during the high speeds. We earlier too reminded this matter to this newspaper.
y is it that everything have to be opened at presidents birthday? complete or not?
if u go to Singapore airport,u cant see a single photo of their prime minister but when u step down in sri lankan airport, presidents photo everywhere.
pure example of 3rd world country
NO point of talking about all these friend, lanken situation is a misery- before long gods will punish these rulers- as had been the case with Premadasa or any other chandi sorta leaders who almost pretended but did the worst to the nation by making the poor man blind folded intrumnetalizing all popullistic sinhala SLANGs. Ours are a folk that one can manipulate easily. They believe everything telecasted or broadcasted by lanken media. Never think broadly.. we need to make common man aware about the danger before us, But who will do it while the opposition seems to be far from getting unted to go against the rulers misconducts. We need to have a very strong opposition not to allow any wrong happenings in sl.
There will be more pot holes, this is SL, what more can you expect.
Budget has jumped from USD 348.75 to USD 741.10 …… amazing! amzing!! amazing!!!
Made in China! Another magic like Hambanthota Harbor for Gon Rajas B’day
Aiyo… Real Godaya we have here !! Have you checked anything in your home for where it is made ? Or do you have all “Made in England” stuff ?
If this is the condition of the finished road before the movement of traffic.What will be the condition when the traffic started to move in heavy pouring.This is absoulty playing out the funds by the responsible authorities.And showing the public miraclas they havent seen.But these people should realise that now in Sri Lanka every house has a person gone aboard and seen the highways in those countries.They will explain to other mats includjng the politicians what they have seen.Please realise that one can fool one person at all the time and all the people at one time and not all the people at all the times.
well said friend, so long the average of the lankens are under brain washing machineries of the regime, people would keep voting and electing them. Srilanka is now not that far from Pakistan to the region.
this is what happen if sl government trust the chinese. god bless sl.
RDA shouls have taken 10 % of the cost as refundable deposit from the Chinese firm. Refundable deposit should be returned if they complete the job based on the contract and if not they loose the deposit.
When you pay peanuts you get monkey only.
whats the RDA know about the qualityroad work?Look at all other roads in main roads in popular area?Its shame to have best university and expert graduation from this uni and work for the RDA.
coruptions or uneducation of the subject?
such imcompetence beggars belief. This is what happens when fools are in charge
Feel sorry for the Contractor, after paying the bribes, did not have sufficent funds to do a good job. This is hapenning all over Sri Lanka under the current regime. Mega projects today are only mega kick backs to ……………you know who???
fantastic analysis which many fools in Lanka do not see.
This is neither Pot Hole nor the Poor Quality asphalt mixes. It’s only the surface irregularity increase than specified. RDA ‘s profilometer also checks the surface irregularity but not the quality of Asphalt. Quality checks for asphalt mixes being done every day of laying and found satisfactory. Compaction; another quality test also satisfied. No cracks had been appear on the surface. excessive roughness created by the paver operations used for this section. It’s not the full width but lane lengths.
Rumour is going around Germans are so impressed with Sri Lankan express way they are thinking of replacing the Autobahn with some thing similar with pot holes.
Dont blame the RajaPASSAS, or the govt. Blame the spineless opposition. If there was a gutty leaders in UNP, today RajaPassas would be facing the same fate like thier buddy ‘Gadaffi’
It is so unfortunate that most of our people do not understand the root cause of this problem. You can not simply blame Chinese contractor.
We have to blame our own corrupt officials for taking huge kickbacks from these mega projects. None of those were transparent.
Do not forget that these contractors are doing a business and somehow keep their profit margin. So once a big portion of the profit is given away as a bribe, the quality of the job is obviously degraded in order to recover the lost revenue.
No country in the world has ever developed without LAW and ORDER being first established. If our country has maintained proper discipline , NO ONE will dare to cheat us.
As a general rule, total cost should not be more than the Initial estimate plus 15% extra. Highest level of corruption clearly indicated when this USD 348mn project has finally cost USD 741mn and ended up unfinished.
Despite the cosmetic development, if present trend continues our country is definitely heading for disaster.
unfinished.
OK, OK..commission earned,commission paid, leave the guys alone. This is what’s
going on in every project with Chinese involvement. Quick job,Quick bucks. Let’s
move on to another mega project with ADB & Jaoan Bank loan with double the estimated cost ! Who cares anyway ? Miracle in the making.
These pot holes can be filled with the kick backs Rajapakses got. No worries there.
This scoundrel Rajapakse will be the first Lankan billionaire soon. He has stolen so much money, he does not know where to put them. I hope the world would give him the same treatment Ghadafi got.
What about the govt officeres what were they doing, dont they check the work stage by stage. The contractor is controlling his budget after paying bribes to our Govt Mahattaya’s.
transportation is a must to a country and for the develpment . government needs it so they do it by dedicating anything ,and that doesn’t matter to the development .