Japan helps rebuild ‘Peace Bridge’

MANNAR: The Japanese Government will extend its development assistance towards rebuilding the Mannar Bridge and its causeway to enable the main Mannar island to be re-connected to the mainland based on the Tokyo Declaration on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka in 2003.

Japan has funded US$ 95 million by way of project assistance for the development and welfare of the North and the Eastern areas of Sri Lanka after 2002.

It includes “PEACE project” for the rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, “MANRECAP project” for the community development of conflict affected communities, Non-project Grant Aid for Tsunami rehabilitation etc. This project, “Reconstruction of Mannar Bridge” is one of the most important projects in this context.

Approximately 40,000 people living in the Mannar Island will benefit from this project by way of safe, smooth and increased inward and outward movement of people and essential commodities.

It will facilitate the resettlement of IDPs from a humanitarian aspect, The Mannar Bridge could be seen as a “Peace Bridge” which will help the restoration of livelihoods of the conflict affected people and communities in Mannar.

Under the preliminary designs, also funded by the Government of Japan, the bridge will be reconstructed with a span of 157.1m in length and 10.4 m in width and improve the causeway up to 3.14km in length and 11m in width on the Medawachchiya - Mannar - Thalaimannar (A 14) Road.

The existing bridge and the causeway has been the only access road to the Mannar island from the mainland.

The existing bridge is in an unstable state; a weak temporary bailey bridge of narrow width causing immense hardships to the people and their daily transportation. The causeway is restricted to a single traffic lane.

The movements along the causeway are frequently interrupted during monsoons due to high tidal waves, affecting smooth transport as well as traffic safety.

A permanent bridge is essential to meet basic human needs as it will provide a reliable link and in turn enable smooth transport, and safe and secure movement of the people in Mannar.

The grant funds which will be utilised for reconstruction work of the bridge and causeway, amounts to approximately Rs. 1,650 million (Japanese Yen 1,836 million). The reconstruction is expected to be completed in 2010.

The Road Development Authority under the supervision of the Ministry of Highways and Road Development will implement the project.

The signing of Exchange of Notes pertaining to the grant took place yesterday, at the Ministry of Finance and Planning. Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka Kiyoshi Araki signed the Exchange of Notes on behalf of the Government of Japan while Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning signed on behalf of the Government.