The second stage of the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) from Kaduwela to Kadawatha will be commissioned today.

The 8.9 kilometre Kaduwela-Kadawatha stretch of the OCH was constructed to connect the Southern Expressway, the Katunayake-Colombo Expressway and Colombo-Kandy or Colombo-Northern Expressway, to enable motorists using these roads to bypass Colombo to reach their destinations.

Construction of the second phase of the OCH from Kaduwela to Kadawatha estimated to cost Rs. 44 billion began in 2012. The cost included, construction of five overpass bridges and the 250 metre long 6-lane bridge over the Kelani River.

The four-lane Expressway will have three toll office buildings and six toll plazas. This enables motorists to reach Matara from Kadawatha within one and half hours. The OCH would provide alternate means for the public to reach their destinations without having to travel to Colombo, which could be time-consuming for motorists.