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Prime Minister and Highways Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and Second Secretary, Embassy of Japan Yasuhiro Watanabe on behalf of the Ambassador of Japan, unveiled the plaque to mark the commencement of the construction of the new Manampitiya Highway Bridge on October 26, 2005 amidst a large gathering of officials and communities in the area.

Irrigation, Mahaweli and Rajarata Development Minister and MP for Polonnaruwa district Maithripala Sirisena was also present at the ceremony.

The Government of Japan granted over Japanese Yen 1,043 million (approximately Rs. 990 million) towards the construction of the new highway bridge at Manampitiya.

The present Manampitiya Bridge which was built in 1922 as a rail-cum road-bridge, is located between Polonnaruwa and Manampitiya spanning across the Mahaweli River on the A-11 trunk road and it is 291 meters in length and less than 5 meters in width.

This steel bridge is the only access from the North Central Province to the Eastern Province in the country and about 3,600 vehicles use this bridge daily. However, due to the narrowness of the bridge, only one-way traffic is possible at a time, hence unable to cope with the volume of traffic. When the railgates are closed for trains to cross over the bridge, traffic congestion is further aggravated.

The new Manampitiya Peace Bridge will be 302 meters long and 10.4 meters wide. With the construction of this new concrete bridge, the approach roads to the bridge will also be constructed to suit the geographical requirements of the bridge, thereby reducing the present traffic congestion and facilitate easy accessibility and faster mobility between Pollonnaruwa and Batticaloa.

The new Manampitiya Peace Bridge, which will be constructed exclusively for motor traffic, will play an important role in accommodating the high volume of traffic on the A-11 road, thereby contributing to not only the overall improvement of the infrastructure and economic growth in the country but also achievement of lasting peace as the name of this bridge is.

The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) will implement the project in collaboration with the Road Development Authority (RDA).

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