Building back better
The Tsunami of 2004 damaged approximately 1,200 kms of roads along
coastal Southern Sri Lanka. The socioeconomic impact of damaged roads
was heavy as the majority of the affected people were economically
vulnerable.
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Today there is very little of the tsunami devastation evident:
the ride is smooth, weaving in and out of little market towns
while vehicles
ply the route regularly. |
The World Bank provided US$33 million (40 per cent in grant and 60%
in credit) for rehabilitation of 114 kms of the A2 coastal road from
Kalutara to Matara.
The Kalutara to Matara coastal road serves many towns along a very
picturesque route with lush greenery and wide beaches which invariably
contributes to the image of Sri Lanka as the tropical island.
The proximity to the sea, however, resulted in severe damage when the
tsunami struck. Immediately after the tsunami, most road sections were
unusable, and there was widespread destruction where the sea had washed
it away. Today there is very little of the tsunami devastation evident:
the ride is smooth, weaving in and out of little market towns while
vehicles ply the route regularly.
This coastal road is an important road, linking the capital to other
port cities. The original goal of this "build the road back better" was
to reduce travel time from place to place, enabling faster transport of
goods to markets.
Janakala, Ranjith Anurasiri, and Hemasiri, are drivers who transport
fish from the Beruwala Fisheries harbour to Colombo. All agreed in
unison that improvement to the road surface is remarkable, and the ride
now is smooth. " Yes, the improvement in the road surface has reduced
the vehicle operating costs as we use less fuel and there is less wear
and tear on the tires," said Anurasiri.
Kandevihare literally means the shrine on the hill and is a much
venerated ancient temple situated just outside the main town of Alutgama.
The temple is a favourite destination of many tourists as well as Sri
Lankans. Many villagers have stalls in the temple grounds, and the
income generated is often their main and only livelihood.
The coastal road rehabilitation project undertook to repair and
improve the road leading to the Kandevihare Temple and parking area
which were damaged by the tsunami.
"After the tsunami there was a drop in the number of people visiting
this temple, and the area in front of the temple used to get flooded
constantly," said Chandra, who has been selling flowers to worshippers
for over 18 years. She is happy with the improvements to the resurfaced
market area and the road leading to the temple. World Bank |
