CMC installs synchronized traffic lights for straight drive

Shirley Wijesinghe

The rehabilitated and upgraded straight drive from Ayuruveda Junction to the Horton Place Roundabout installed with a synchronized traffic signal system will be officially opened on November 18 at 5 pm, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Chief City Administrator Omar Kamil said.

The project’s main task is to improve the traffic flow at all seven intersections along the road to ease the traffic jam during peak hours, he added.

The CMC has spent over Rs. 25 million. This is another project implemented under the 100 day crash program initiated on the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, he said.

Inspecting the rehabilitation activities of the road from Ayuruveda Junction to Horton Place yesterday, Kamil said the synchronization of traffic signals aims at getting a large number of vehicles pass with minimum stops comfortably.

He said over 75,000 vehicles pass these traffic signals and a substantial amount of manpower hours are lost. When a street is selected for synchronization of its traffic signals it leads to minimizing traffic jams during peak hours. Six junctions with traffic signal lights and two new junctions are synchronized under this project.