Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said that 98.5 percent of the construction has been completed of new Kelani Bridge, which is an engineering design known as extradosed type, which uses stay cables to connect two main pylons with the bridge deck and to share the weight of the loads from the bridge deck.
In 2014, by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Highways had initiated the New Kelani Bridge project and signed for the plans and the approval, Minister Fernando said addressing a zoom meeting to review the progress of the construction of the bridge.
Among the work remaining to be completed were fixing the security camera system, painting the steel cables, building the gutter system at the section connecting the entrance to the Port, illuminating the bridge, completing work in railings and exterior decoration. The Minister instructed Secretary to the Ministry R. W. R. Pemasiri to complete the entire project in the coming weeks as the bridge is to be commissioned next month.
He also instructed the officials to plant trees beside the road connecting the bridge with Orugodawatte Junction. An underground pipe system would also be laid to provide water to the trees.
