Uthuru Vasanthaya:

Govt spends Rs 4,270m on roads

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

The Government has constructed and renovated roads and bridges at a cost of Rs. 4,270 million in the Mannar District under the Uthuru Vasanthaya program, the Road Development Authority said.

Under this program, the construction of the New Thalladi bridge in Mannar has been completed.

The Government has spent Rs 2,460 million on this project, RDA Chief Engineer for Mannar and Vavuniya Joice Crooze said.

The newly constructed Mannar bridge and rehabilitated causeway is ready to be commissioned soon as the construction work has reached more than 98 percent.

The bridge and causeway construction project commenced in 2007 aiming to complete it in 2010. The new Mannar bridge is a long felt need of the Mannar District after the old bridge has blasted by the LTTE.

The transportation to Mannar had stopped until the security forces set up a temporary bridge and made an entry point to the Mannar island.

JICA of the Japanese Government and the Sri Lankan Government have jointly allocated funds for the project.

The length of the Mannar bridge and the causeway is around 3.6 kilometres and the width of the bridge is 14.5 metres. “Earlier the narrow road and causeway caused traffic congestion but the new bridge and causeway which has four lanes will ease traffic,” Crooze said.

RDA will complete the construction of the road from Murukkan of Mannar to Silawathura at a cost of Rs. 735 million. The road is 15.3 kilometres long.

Around 50 percent of the project has been completed, RDA North and East Zonal Director Mosus Mariyadas told the Daily News.

The construction of the Arachi-Ara bridge on Mannar to Silawathura road has been completed.

The Government has spent Rs. 400 million on the Arachi Aru Bridge. The bridge is 240 metres long and 7.35 metre wide.