The extension of Southern Expressway from Matara to Hambantota is scheduled to be vested with public by next August, a Road Development Authority official said. The Matara-Hambantota section of the Southern Expressway was vested with the public a short while ago. There are 3 ways to get from Matara to Hambantota by taxi, car or plane. It is expected to extend the Southern Expressway from Matara to Hambantota with the intention of linking Mattala Airport and Hambantota Harbour to the Commercial Capital, Colombo in future. Toll charges for the newly constructed Matara-Mattala-Hambantota extension of the Southern Expressway have been gazetted. The hurriedly constructed exit to Weeraketiya on the Southern Expressway’s Matara-Hambantota stretch was not in the original plan or blueprint of the expressway, The Sunday Morning learnt. The first phase covers a 30 km section from Matara to Beliatta while a 26 km section from Beliatta to Barawakumbuka is in the second phase and 15 km from Barawakumbuka to Andarawewa in the third and 25 km from Andarawewa to Hambantota and Mattala in the fourth stage. A 96km long stretch of the Southern Expressway from Matara-Hambantota it will be open to the public from August 2019. The Matara-Mattala-Hambantota extension of the Southern Expressway is scheduled to be opened on 23 February, UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa tweeted yesterday, adding that the opening will be done under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The newly constructed extension was ceremoniously declared open by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Southern Expressway consists of 126.1 kilometres, spans from Kottawa to Matara. The Southern Expressway from Matara to Hambantota is constructed under four phases: Matara - Beliatta, Beliatta - Barawakumbuka, Barawakumbuka - Andarawewa and Andarawewa - Mattala. The expressway section from Matara to Beliatta (Ch.0+000 – Ch.30+000) is under the Extension of Southern Expressway Section 1. It is expected to extend the Southern Expressway from Matara to Hambantota with the intention of linking Mattala Airport and Hambantota Harbour to the Commercial Capital, Colombo in future. It travers from Kottawa to Matara (126.1 km) and it was initially opened to public from Kottawa - Pinnaduwa (95.3 km) on 27th November 2011 and the extended section from Pinnaduwa - Godagama (30.8 km) has been opened to public on 15th March 2014. The extraordinary gazette notification declaring the toll charges was issued by the Minister of Roads & Highways Johnston Fernando, under Section 89 of the Thoroughfares Act, No. Accordingly, on Southern Expressway 21.8 kilometer section from Barawakumbuka to Mattala via Andarawewa and the 16.6 kilometer section from Andarawewa to Hambantota will be open for … Southern Expressway. Southern Expressway. Connects to expressway at ‘risky bend’ No environmental impact assessment; By Maheesha Mudugamuwa. Matara to Hambantota extension of the Southern Expressway will be fully opened for vehicle traffic from 23rd February. The Southern Expressway Extension from Matara to Hambantota comprises four main sections including Section 1 - a 30km stretch from Matara to Belliatta; Section 2 - a 26km stretch from Beliatta to Wetiya; Section 3 - a 15km stretch from Wetiya to Andarawewa; and Section 4 – a 25km section from Mattala to Hambantota via Andarawewa. Construction of 96km long four lane Expressway split into four sections namely Matara – Beliatta (30km), Beliatta – Wetiya (26km), Wetiya – Andarawewa (15km) and Mattala – Hambantota via Andarawewa (25km). The maximum operating speed for this section is 100 kmph.