Project: National Highway Sector Development Project
Review Bypass Options
Client: Asian Development Bank
Location: Sri Lanka
Type of Project: Social and Environmental Analysis
Start: 2005.
The A012 Puttalam to Anuradhapura
is at the west end of the A012 in Sri Lanka's North Western Province
and to the south of the Wilpattu National Park. There is ample RoW to
allow improvement for most of it’s length. However, in the Puttalam
area, west of km2 the road passes over a railway level crossing and
through the urban area, past three schools and through the market in
the town centre. Southbound through traffic must then cross the railway
again on the A3 on the way out of town. Access to the town centre from
south or east requires vehicles to cross railway level crossings and
through narrow streets, past temples, schools and through residential
areas.


Puttalam Town Centre
Through traffic must also follow this main road route
or "rat- run" through the residential outsdkirts of the
towm, lined with many sensitibve receivers. Traffic conditions are
already congested and many heavy busses and trucks already use a route
through the outer urban area avoiding the railway crossings along a
single track road to the west. To do nothing would exacerbate the
deteriorating traffic and environmental impacts to unacceptable
levels but road widening is a difficult option to pursue in Puttalam
Town due to the busy urban conditions.


"Rat-runs" in residential outskirts of Puttalam (Option 1 and Option 2) used by heavy vehicles to bypass Puttalam
Therefore bypass options for the town have been
examined. Bypass alternative routes for Puttalam town were also
reviewed by David Green.
Option 1 was proposed by the client along a single
track road through the urban area but this option has not been favoured
due to the narrow RoW which would require extensive land acquisition
and resettlement. David Green independently examined another
possibility (Option 2, R1 to R3 below) along another nearby single
track road, which is also through the urban area but this option has a
wider RoW and based on observation would require much less extensive
land acquisition and resettlement. Observations also indicate that
heavy vehicles already use this route to avoid the railway crossings
and town centre. Option 2 has a fairly well defined alignment and could
also offer options to be implemented in phases. No new roads would be
needed in the first phase of Option 2 but three roundabouts would be
required. 500m of new road could be developed to add value, as
land is acquired in Phase 2, Option 2.

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