New bridge reduces travel time

by Dhaneshi YATAWARA

The bridge linking the Jaffna Peninsula and Sangupiddy in Pooneryn with two lanes will be completed in October this year.

The bridge is 288 metres in length and 7.4 metres wide is being constructed with the financial and technical assistance from the United kingdom according to Road Development Authority Chairman R.W.R. Semasiri.

“The construction work is in full swing and with the current progress we can complete before the scheduled deadline of the project,” Semasiri said speaking to the Sunday Observer. At the inception the construction was scheduled to be completed in December.

“Travelling from Pooneryn to Jaffna via Elephant Pass takes nearly two and a half hours yet with the construction of the bridge it will be less than an hour,” Northern Province Governor Maj.Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri said. “This is a great advancement to the Northerners along with rapid development projects are underway,” he added.

The Sangupiddy bridge fills the gap on the A-32 highway that existed for the past 25 years.

Earlier the A-32 highway was linked up with the Jaffna peninsula by a ferry service from the Sangupiddy Jetty in Pooneryn which was later discontinued due terrorist activities.

The United Kingdom Government provides financial and technical assistance for this construction. United Kingdom also provides the material for the steel super structure of the bridge.