Simulation analysis of an expressway toll plaza

Since the early civilizations, transportation has played a significant role, from fulfilling basic human needs to contributing towards major economic growths all over the world. With the advancement in technology, the demand for smooth and hassle-free transportation increased and it is particularly true for road transportation in Sri Lanka as well. As a result, the expressway road network was introduced to Sri Lanka in 2011. Although a toll is payable for the use of expressways, many vehicle users prefer to utilize the expressway due to the extensive amount of time saved. Time is of utmost importance for expressway users. Hence, long queues and waiting time at toll plazas where the toll payment is made should be minimized. This study is aimed at analyzing the performance at the Peliyagoda toll plaza of the Colombo-Katunayake expressway where the formation of long queues and long waiting time in queues can be observed during peak hours. Due to the high complexity of using the analytical approach in obtaining the performance measures, a simulation approach was used with Arena Simulation Software. Few setup improvements were identified, and each of the setups were simulated to obtain the performance measures. Based on the comparison of the results, recommendations and suggestions to improve the efficiency of the operations at the Peliyagoda toll plaza have been outlined.