- Several cops hospitalised following injuries, NBRO to inspect site
- SLTB highway buses operating, Galle motorists told to exit from Imaduwa, Colombo motorists told to exit from Pinnaduwa
Vehicular movement on the Southern Expressway remains disrupted following the earth slip reported on Wednesday (11) night, the Road Development Authority (RDA) said.
However, the Sri Lanka Transport (SLTB) has confirmed that highway buses plying on the expressway are operating as usual.
The earth slip was reported near the 102nd kilometre post between the Pinnaduwa and Imaduwa interchanges as a result of the downpours that occurred in the area on Wednesday. Accordingly, traffic on both sides of the expressway has been blocked. RDA Director General L.V.S. Weerakoon stated that mounds of earth on both sides of the expressway near the location have collapsed onto the road. Therefore, residents living in the upper areas on both sides of the expressway section where the earth slip occurred were requested to evacuate immediately to safer locations due to risks of further earth slips and rock falls.
However, Weerakoon said that RDA authorities are working in tandem with army personnel at the moment to clear the blocked stretch of road. He was hopeful that two of the four lanes of the expressway would be reopened for vehicular movement by last afternoon (12).
Therefore, motorists entering the expressway from the direction of Galle were advised to exit from the Imaduwa interchange while motorists arriving from the direction of Colombo were urged to exit from the Pinnaduwa interchange.
The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has meanwhile vowed to inspect the site where the earth slip happened and take both short- and long-term measures to prevent such mishaps in the future.
Meanwhile, six Police Special Task Force personnel and a police constable, who were on duty at the expressway, were reportedly hospitalised after sustaining injuries due to the said earth slip.
Elsewhere, the Badulla-Colombo Main Road has also been blocked for traffic at Madola in Opanayake due to an earth slip.