Japan provides US$15m grant for Sri Lanka road construction

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2010, 12:18 GMT]
Japanese officials signed a 1.2 billion Japanese Yen, approx. LKR 1.6 billion, grant agreement to reconstruct five bridges in the Eastern Province, at the Ministry of Finance on 25 November 2010, Sri Lanka media reported Thursday. Under the grant agreement, four bridges between Padiyathalawa and Ea'raavoor on the A5 in Maha Oya and Ea'raavoorpaththu DS Divisions, and the panichchangkea'ni bridge and causeway on the A15 (Trincomalee-Batticaloa Road) will be reconstructed.

Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka, Kunio Takahashi, Secretary to the Treasury Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Mr Akira Shimura signed the agreement.

The A5 is the primary road link from the Central and Uva Provinces to the Eastern Province, while the A15 interconnects the three districts of the Eastern Province – Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.

The existing bridges which have been constructed some 60 years ago are in a dilapidated state due to neglect and the impact of war.

Within the post-tsunami and post-conflict reconstruction, both the A5 and A15 roads have been widened for two-lane traffic.

Transportation sources said the grant assistance will allow the bridges to be widened to two-lane traffic thereby removing the traffic bottleneck caused by the bridges.

“We hope this assistance will contribute to improving connectivity within and among the provinces, and will provide better access for residents of the Eastern Province to socio-economic facilities”, says Mr. Akira Shimura, Chief Representative of JICA – Sri Lanka Office.

JICA is currently the largest donor to the road sector in Sri Lanka. JICA’s current assistance in the sector include: the construction of the Southern Expressway and Outer Circular Highway, improvement of the A15-A4 roads from Thirikka'ndimadu to Akkaraippaththu and the development of 315km of rural roads in the Eastern Province and 350km of provincial roads in the Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.