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| Tuesday, 21 January 2003 |
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Muwagama steel bridge final bolting ceremony by Major V. B. Karunarathne
A magnificent steel bridge is being constructed over Kaluganga river at
Muwagama within the city of Ratnapura. This is a 100 per cent donation
from the Government of Japan to Sri Lanka. The final bolting ceremony of
the structure of this huge bridge structure will take place at a simple
ceremony at Muwagama this morning (21). The opening of this for the
traffic and transport usage is expected to take place by September this
year after the completion of concreting and tar work on the deck.
The present bridge at Muwagama was built by the British in 1923, under colonial rule and it has only one traffic lane. Moreover it is about 80 years old. It is very difficult for the vehicles to pass over this and there are frequent traffic congestions. According to a proposal by Road Development Authority (RDA) to replace old and dilapidated bridges through Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) aid projects, five new bridges have been built and opened for the traffic at Bulathsinhala, Gilimale, Negombo, Moratuwa and Elpitiya. Two more are under construction at Ratnapura and Gampola. For the construction of Ratnapura bridge, rupees 560 million had been donated by the tax payers of Japan as gift from Government of Japan. This Arch-shape steel bridge of which the steel frame is 99 meters long, 11.4 meters broad and 15 meters high. Consultant and the planners of this bridge are the Oriental Company Ltd. of Japan. Kumagai Gumi Company of Japan is mobilized as the main contractor. Planning and construction is done under the supervision of Road Development Authority of Sri Lanka. Muwagama bridge has two traffic lanes 7.4 meters in width. There are 2 pavements on either side for pedestrians, each one-and-half meters in width. These are facilities to join both banks of the river with water supply lines, electricity and telephone lines. Though it has only two traffic lanes, even three heavy vehicles very easily pass at the same time. About 540 metric tours of steel had been used for the fabrication of this bridge and 24,000 nuts and bolts had been used to join different parts of this. Today, the last 15 of these 24,000 nuts will be fixed and tightened according to the standard procedure and with the proper tension. The bridge which was made in Japan, by Yokagawa Bridge Corporation has been fabricated and assembled in factories in Japan and tested for strength where engineers and directors of RDA had attended with the engineers of Kumagai Gumi Company. It was reported that the standard and quality was very high. It was dissemble again and shipped to Sri Lanka. It was reassembled over Kaluganga at Muwagama within two months. There were nine main girders and 94 other parts. Japanese technology was used for the erection and assembling. Sri Lankan Engineers & Technicians also took part in the process. Though it was very dangerous work, it is commendable that no accident occurred whatsoever. It was due to the quality of the safety system launched by the Japanese firm Kumagai Gumi Company that no accident occurred. This Arch-shaped bridge will be one of the most delectable Bridges in Sri Lanka. Another bridge of the same shape was built in 2000, under Japanese aid, by the same Kumagai Gumi Company at Narthupana, Bulathsinhala. Building a bridge will help economic and social progress and also support the transport sector. Most of the bridges of this country are in dilapidated conditions and it is important to take immediate steps to repair or replace them. (The writer is former deputy Sergeant-At-Arms of Sri Lanka Parliament and Mechanical Engineer of Mahaweli Authority and Engineer Volunteer of Army.) Consultant: Oriental Consultant Company Ltd. Client: Road Development Authority Contractor: Kumagai Gumi Co. Ltd. |
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