Pera road bridge under repair

A major repair has been undertaken on the picturesque Peradeniya road bridge, as the structural girders are corroding posing imminent danger to road users. Immediate repairs have been undertaken by the Road Development Authority (RDA) on the instructions of its Chairman M.V.S. Fernando, who inspected the bridge and released monies for the first stage of the repair. RDA General Manager Ranjith Perera with other RDA officials accompanied the chairman on the inspection.

This bridge is over one hundred and fifty years old and has been the gateway to Kandy. It has withstood the raging 1947 floods and remained firm despite massive trees washing down the Mahaweli Ganga ramming against its foundations. While other bridges collapsed, Peradeniya Bridge stood like a giant.

According to the Project Engineer Miss Nalini Samarasinghe, the original iron arches underneath the bridge were still in good condition despite the heavy toll of daily traffic which included heavy duty trucks. But the girders which had been constructed during the past years have now corroded and immediate repairs had to be undertaken, she said.

The work is expected to be finished in around three months provided rains did not interfere. The estimated cost is three million rupees, she said. The main work has been entrusted to the State Development and Construction Corporation.