Gampaha flyover to be completed by June
The flyover in the heart of the Gampaha town across the railway track which costs Rs. 220 million, is scheduled to be opened in June. It will avoid the massive congestion in the town.
A policy decision has been taken by the Government to provide infrastructure facilities expeditiously to meet the requirements of the increasing population and urbanisation in Gampaha.
The work was staggered during the past months due to few unavoidable circumstances but now the bottlenecks are averted and the work has resumed.
The State Development and Construction Corporation is in charge of constructing the flyover.
The project engineer said with the opening of the flyover a long-standing problem, the huge traffic jam, when the railway gates are closed will be solved. The flyover which is 350 meters long consisting of four lanes will connect roads leading to Ja-ela and Minuwangoda.
In addition the new roads under the flyover will also be constructed to enhance convenience of motorists and pedestrians.
Meanwhile, the construction of the Pannala Maningamuwa Ma Oya bridge connecting the Western Province and Wayamba, is also nearing completion.
The Road Development Authority has undertaken the construction work which costs Rs. 160 million.
Falling in line with the accelerated program 90 percent of the work has been completed within one year.
Earlier the people used barges to cross the river. The people in the vicinity said that when the river becomes rough during rainy seasons barges could not be used and they had to go 20 kilometres additionally via Badalgama and Makandura to reach Pannala from the Negombo-Mirigama highway.
With the completion of the work it will be the shortest road from Colombo to Anuradhapura since it reduces 28 kilometres in the distance between Colombo and Anuradhapura.
The Maduwa bridge which connects Maduwa and Yagodamulla in the Katana electorate will be opened in June, Katana Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman D. P. Leelananda said. The road on either side of the bridge inundates during the rainy season and thousands of schoolchildren attending schools go helpless, Leelananda said. “Therefore it has been designed to elevate the road to a considerable extent to protect it from floods,” he said.
by WALTER LIYANARACHCHI
Source: dailynews
