Vehicles will be able to reach Matara from Kaduwela in one and a half hours with the opening of the extension of the OCH.

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 began in 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs. 44 billion. 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.

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.