News
Austrian-funded bridge being readied for traffic
The yet-to-be named new Maha Oya bridge, built with a Rs 651.9 million grant from the Austrian government across the Maha Oya at Kochchikade, is nearing its completion and is to be handed over in February.
D.P.A. Amarasinghe Engineer
The existing bridge (Bridge No.38/3) constructed in 1936 was known as the ‘Suruwama langa maha palama’. Almost every traveller would stop to pray before St. Anthony for a safe journey.
The two-way bridge with four lanes will help ease the traffic congestion.
D.P.A. Amarasinghe, a materials engineer, told the Sunday Times it is the fifth bridge ACCESS Engineering is building in Sri Lanka. He vouched for its quality.
The steel bridge is 105 metres long and consists of three spans – 30m, 45m, and 30m. It is 19m wide.
When asked about the quality of the raw materials, he said: “ACCESS gets everything from the State Engineering Corporation. So there is no room for any contractor to make money on supplying poor quality materials.”
Technical Officer, Binsar Mauritz Augustinus, an Indonesian, claimed that the bridge was guaranteed “for 100 years”.
Workers were paid at least Rs. 3,500 a day with allowances.