ENGINEER - Vol. [XXXX-04.], No. [Part B], pp.

[xx-xx], [2019]
© The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka
understanding the present speed of the traffic
Hourly Total Vehicle movements at the
Intersection
stream at all approaches.
7000 Table 1: Existing Travel Speeds at Approach Links
6000 Average Speed at Approach
Links to Intersection (km/h)
Traffic Volume

5000 # Link Description

Mid Off
MP EP
4000 Peak Peak

3000 1 Intersection to Kalubowila 21 20 12 19

2000 2 Kalubowila to Intersection 11 14 7 18

1000 3 Intersection to Pepiliyana 13 16 19 20

0 4 Pepiliyana to Intersection 8 12 23 25
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
5 Intersection to Nugegoda 28 15 7 28
Time
6 Nugegoda to Intersection 38 22 19 24
Figure 2: Total Traffic Level at the Intersection 7 Intersection to Colombo 25 15 16 16

8 Colombo to Intersection 27 11 16 14
The maximum traffic inflow in the morning
peak at the intersection is observed in
Average speeds of each flow direction have
Pepiliyana approach arm amounted to be over
been calculated for every link to the next
2,700 vehicles/ hour. The maximum in the
intersection as shown above. Accordingly, the
evening peak is from Pamankada approach
highest peak speed is observed from Nugegoda
which is amounted to be around 1,750 vehicles.
to Kohuwala Intersection, is around 38 km/h
The main road of this intersection is referred to
during the morning peak. The least speeds are
as B084 Road as the main traffic carrying road
observed from Kohuwala Intersection to
corridor. Therefore, it is noted that the morning
Nugegoda, and Kalubowila to Intersection both
peak direction dominates the intersection traffic
on the minor arms showing the minor roads are
over the day which is excessive of over 1000
affected heavily during peak traffic congestions.
vehicles in comparison of the opposite direction
The reasons seem to be the more priority is
traffic in the evening peak. The evening peak
given to main road traffic by the police
arrivals to the intersection is little over 5,000
interventions at the peak hours. Although the
vehicles/ hour
highest speeds are observed in the peak hours
they are on the off-peak directions where the
Hourly Approach Traffic Variation directional split is very low. The speed at the
main approach as the Pepiliyana arm in the
Nugegoda Kalubowila morning peak is also at very low as 8km/h and
Pamankada Papiliyana retained for longer times as a result of highest
traffic flow.
3000
2500 2.3 Queue formation at the Intersection
No of Vehicles

2000
Significant queues are observed at the
1500
Kohuwala Intersection, especially during peak
1000 hours. Colombo - Horana Road (B084) from
500 Papiliyana Intersection is recorded as the most
jammed link at the Kohuwala Intersection in the
0
morning peak and Colombo- Horana Road
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00

(B084) from Pamankada Intersection in the

evening peak.
Time

Figure 3: Approach Traffic Flow to the Intersection Compared to queues observed in Colombo –
Horana Road (B84), lesser queue lengths are
observed in S. De. S. Jayasinghe Mawatha
2.2 Existing Travel Speeds at the Intersection (B229) during the 12 hour survey period
between 07:00 a.m and 07:00 p.m. Mid-peak is
The travel time taken to reach the intersection more impacted in S. De. S. Jayasinghe Mawatha
from a significant distance (influenced length ) (B229); as a result of many schools are located in
for all approach were recorded and used for
ENGINEER 32 4