Tudawe Brothers commence second largest BOC funded project

The Road Development Authority (RDA), commissioned the rehabilitation and upgrading of Bibile - Pitakumbura - Namaloya- Inginiyagala (B527) roadway with a total length of 60.31 km as a part of the 7th Dayata Kirula Programme 2013.

W.A.S. Weerasinghe, Director General RDA, R.W.R. Pemasiri, Secretary Ministry of Ports and Highways, W. A.K. Bandara, Director Works RDA, Rohan Tudawe, Chairman/Managing Director Tudawe Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, Sugath Gunasekera, AGM Bank of Ceylon, . Dayani Fernando, DGM Bank of Ceylon , Ajith Tudawe, Group Director Tudawe Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, at the signing of the agreement.

The Bank of Ceylon stepped in to fund the project, valued at Rs. 4605 million, for which the parties entered into a loan agreement. Tudawe Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, was granted the honour of designing and constructing this roadway.

This is the second largest project undertaken by a local contractor without the participation of a foreign joint-venture collaborator.

The road starts at Bibile town on the Badulla- Chenkaladi road (A-005) and ends at the Ampara-Inginiyagala road.

Road Development Authority and Tudawe Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, entered into a formal agreement sealing the Award of Contract in December 2012.

The 'ground-breaking' ceremonies took place at entry points to the road at both ends on February 14, 2013. At the Bibile junction end, Nirmala Kothalawala (MP) Project Minister of Ports and Highways presided over the ceremony on the invitation of Gamini Vijith Wijayamuni Zoysa (MP) Minister of Wild Life Resources Conservation, while at the Inginiyagala junction end Nirmala Kothalawala (MP) Project Minister Ports and Highways completed the ceremony on the invitation of Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera MP, for Ampara District.

This is a strategic link between the Ampara city and Bibile in the Uva Province. The road was considered the safest route during the recent war to reach Ampara, due to the security risk while travelling along the other roads in the Eastern Province.

This road traverses through the famous Nilgala forest and Galoya National Park. Paddy cultivation and agricultural produce are the main income source of people in this area.

According to available Central Bank data, the highest population growth in Sri Lanka is in the Ampara District and Provincial GDP contribution increased from 1.9% in 2001 to 10.15% in 2005 in the Uva Province. Therefore improvement of this road is of national interest and it will bring both social and economic benefits to the area.

The main constraints in this road project are the narrowness of the existing roadway and the dangers faced in working in mountainous terrain between the 25th to 27th km stretch.

The completion of this project will result in a complete rehabilitation and upgrading of this road, bringing in several social and economic benefits to surrounding areas, including easy accessibility.