PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA DECLARES OPEN NEW KATUGASTOTA BRIDGE ON A9 HIGHWAY LINKING KANDY AND JAFFNA
Posted on July 26th, 2009
By Walter Jayawardhana
President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open a four lane new bridge spanning across River Mahaveli at Katugastota on the A9 Highway connecting the ancient capital with the Northern city of Jaffna.
The 525 million bridge was built with funds granted as aid by Kuwait which gave 70 per cent of the expenditure. The balance was footed by the Sri Lanka government.
One of the most beautiful bridges in Sri Lanka, the four lane 20 meters wide bridge is 130.15 meters long and stands on concrete columns.
The bridge not only connects Kandy with Jaffna via Anuradhapura and Vavuniya it links the ancient hill capital with Trincomalee via Dambulla and Habarana and Chilawand Puttalama via Kurunegala.
Ministers T.B.Ekanayaka,Rajitha Senaratne, and Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Deputy Minister W. B. Ekanayaka, Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayaka and Transport Secretary Wasantha Karannnagoda joined the President in the opening ceremony.