Bridge construction in Matale district at a pace

Work on several rural bridges in the Matale district has been completed just five months after the foundation stones were laid by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. These bridges are being built under the program for building 210 bridges country-wide to link villages with towns and cities, launched under Minister Rajapaksa's direction.

The program introduced in accordance with the Mahinda Chinthana Vision carried out in 11 districts of the island. These steel bridges have been built without arches so that they can withstand natural disasters resulting from climatic changes.

Since 75 percent of the country's population live in rural areas, Minister Rajapaksa has expressed confidence that these bridges would help strengthen the rural economy and raise the living standards of villagers. He added that roads built under the Maga Neguma Program have helped increase productivity and improve the incomes of the rural population. This is seen especially in the agricultural and plantation sectors, according to him.

Five of the rural bridges for which the Minister laid the foundation stones in July are now complete. They are Thammenna Ela in Dambulla, Welamitiyawa in Galewela, Epitamulla and Pahala Hapuwida in Rattota and Galkadulla in Pallepola. The rural bridges are being constructed with British aid. Work on the remaining bridges will be completed by next April, according to Senior Construction Engineer Withana Seneviratne.

The construction of these bridges will directly benefit over 200,000 people (nearly 25,000 families) while the number of indirect beneficiaries will be 400,000. Thousands of schoolchildren too will benefit from these bridges. Farmers cultivating spices such as pepper and cinnamon and vegetables like tomatoes and cabbages can bring their produce to the Dambulla market in a very short time. These towns will become agro-centres in future and will also benefit tea small holders and those engaged in the brass and silver industry.

These rural bridges are being constructed with the participation of Matale District MPs, Lands and Land Development Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon, Higher Education Deputy Minister Nandimithra Ekanayake, Transport Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake, Commerce and Industry Deputy Minister Lakshman Perera, Central Province Minister Bandula Yalegama and Matale District Government Agent K.H.A. Megasmulla.