Cabinet approval for consultancy services given
The loan was obtained earlier this year by the government of Sri Lanka from Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA)
Part of the 35,020 million Japanese Yen loan is to be used to carry out the consultancy services of the new Kelani Bridge which is to be constructed parallel to the existing bridge, the Road Development Authority (RDA) said. An official from the RDA said, “The documents have been prepared. Once they are signed we are hoping to start the planning and designing by December this year.”
He also said that the remainder of the loan is to be utilised for civil construction and relocation. Speaking about the relocation, the official said that the Atomic Energy Agency building and the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority will be resited using the loan. The loan would also be used to remove two overhead power cables in the project area belonging to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and place them underground.
The six-lane bridge to be constructed upstream will have interchanges at Orugodawatte, Ingurukade and Kelanitissa junctions. The new bridge will extend southwards from the ColomboKatunayake Expressway and divide towards the Port Access Road and Baseline Road. An elevated highway to be constructed from Peliyagoda to Colombo Fort will also be connected to the bridge at the interchange at the Bandaranaike roundabout.
The new bridge together with the elevated highway is expected to help ease traffic congestion in the Colombo and Peliyagoda areas.
The loan was obtained earlier this year by the government of Sri Lanka from Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA). Cabinet approval for the procurement of the consultancy services for the new Kelani Bridge was obtained last week. Construction is expected to commence in November 2016 and will take three years to complete.
From : Daily Mirror epaper http://dailymirrorepaper.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
