India commences construction of Moragahakanda Bridge
COLOMBO –India and Sri Lanka on Monday (21) launched construction of the Moragahakanda Bridge in Matale, the first of 13 permanent bridges to be built across the island under an Indian grant-funded reconstruction program following Cyclone Ditwah.
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake jointly laid the foundation stone for the more than 175-metre-long bridge at a ceremony attended by Members of Parliament, senior Road Development Authority officials and other dignitaries.
The Moragahakanda Bridge has been given priority following a special request from the Sri Lankan government, reflecting its importance in restoring connectivity between the Matale and Polonnaruwa districts and facilitating the movement of communities in the area.
The project is part of India’s wider US$450 million reconstruction and rehabilitation package announced following Cyclone Ditwah to support the restoration of critical infrastructure in affected areas.
The bridge will be constructed by IRCON International Limited, an Indian public sector undertaking with a longstanding presence in Sri Lanka.
Construction of the remaining 12 permanent bridges is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
India has already constructed 11 Bailey bridges at 10 locations across Sri Lanka to restore transport links disrupted by the cyclone. The launch of the permanent bridge program marks a shift from emergency restoration to the development of longer-term and more resilient infrastructure.
Several railway connectivity projects are also expected to commence soon under an INR-denominated US$250 million long-term Line of Credit, including construction of a new railway bridge at Peradeniya and rehabilitation of railway lines and associated signalling systems.
–ENCL
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