An earthslip has blocked the Hatton-Colombo main road in the Kuyilwatte area, halting vehicular traffic along the route, Sri Lanka Police said on Saturday morning.

A mound of earth collapsed onto the carriageway, bringing traffic on the road to a complete standstill, Hiru News reported.

Diversion via Norton Bridge

Hatton Police have asked motorists travelling on the route to use the Norton Bridge road instead until the obstruction is cleared. Ada Derana reported that drivers have been urged to take alternative routes for the duration of the closure.

Neither report gave a timeline for reopening the road, and no injuries were reported. The location is rendered as Kuilwatta in Hiru’s Sinhala-language reporting.

Update: one lane reopened

The obstruction was cleared later on Saturday morning and one lane of the road was reopened to traffic, Ada Derana and the Daily Mirror reported. The Daily Mirror described the route as partially reopened, with a single lane cleared.

Ada Derana’s subsequent report was headlined as the road having reopened with traffic returned to normal, though the body of that report also states that one lane has been reopened. Both outlets agree the restoration was partial at the time of writing.

Police have advised motorists to drive with caution through the area, warning that there remains a risk of further earthslips. Intermittent rainfall was continuing at the site, Ada Derana’s reporter said. The road had been completely blocked at about 1:00 a.m.

Wet weather in the hill country

The blockage comes as the Department of Meteorology forecasts showers at times in the Sabaragamuwa Province and in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts today. Hatton sits in the Nuwara Eliya district, on one of the main routes linking the central highlands to Colombo.

The road is a key artery for the plantation districts, carrying estate produce and passenger traffic between the hill country and the western seaboard. Earthslips are a recurring hazard along its steeper sections during periods of sustained rainfall.

Sources