Travelling on E01 Southern Expressway - Sri Lanka's First E class Highway

E01 Southern Expressway

E01 Southern Expressway from Kottawa to Galle

The Phase I of the E01 Southern Expressway, commissioned in late November 2011, marks a significant improvement to the existing roadway network, much of which dates back to the British era. Winding through picturesque landscapes at speeds of up to 100 km/h, the journey from Kottawa to Galle takes approximately one hour, providing a comfortable and novel experience for Sri Lankan travelers. With the expressway's extension to Matara, travelers from Colombo can now reach the southern part of Sri Lanka in about an hour and a half. Currently, there are eight interchange points along the E01 Expressway: Kottawa, Kahatuduwa, Gelanigama, Dodangoda, Welipenna, Kurundugahahetekma, Baddegama, and Pinnaduwa.

The Road Development Authority (RDA) maintains the E01 Expressway. Information from the RDA website and literature has been utilized to create this webpage. While the expressway route has not yet been published in Sri Lankan maps, readers can access the route map provided by the RDA in its Expressway Guide.

Section of the E01 Expressway from Galle to Matara

The section of the E01 Expressway from Galle to Matara was commissioned on March 15, 2014. Entry from Galle to the expressway is via the Pinnaduwa Interchange, with the exit to Matara at the Godagama Interchange. Traveling from Pinnaduwa towards Matara, the first interchange encountered is the Imaduwa Interchange, which connects to the Galle-Deniyaya-Madampe main road. The next interchange is Kokmaduwa Interchange, linking to the Imaduwa-Kananke road. After passing Kokmaduwa, travelers exit to Matara through Godagama Interchange. Plans are underway to add two more interchanges along the Galle-Matara expressway: one between Pinnaduwa and Imaduwa, and another between Kokmaduwa and Godagama. The newly constructed section of the expressway from Galle to Matara spans 35 km.

Section of the E01 Expressway from Barawakumbuka to Andarawewa Transit Terminal

The section of the E01 Expressway commissioned in November 2019 connects Barawakumbuka, Sooriyawewa, and Mattala to the Andarawewa transit terminal.

Section of the E01 Expressway from Matara to Barawakumbuka

Lastly, the section of the E01 Southern Expressway from Matara to Barawakumbuka was commissioned in February 2020

As a bonus for our readers, we have included detailed information about all interchange place names on the E02, E03, E04, and E06 expressways at the end of this page.

Southern Expressway E01

Download the complete E01 Southern Expressway PDF diagram

with all interchanges, entry and exit points