New bridge spanning Kelani River in Sri Lanka

Work is underway in Sri Lanka on a new bridge spanning the Kelani River. The 3349 Japan International Cooperation Agency is supplying funding worth some US$344.4 million for the bridge project, which is intended to improve transport connections to and from capital Colombo. The project is facing design challenges as the river is prone to flooding. As a result the design of the bridge features a thick deck and short towers, but without any piers. The 380m long structure will carry six lanes of traffic, with three in either direction. Once the bridge is complete it is expected to cut journey times as drivers will be able to use this link rather than a longer route involving crossing bridges some distance away at Orugodawatte.