Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena, praised China for being a close friend of the country. He said he hopes the strong friendship between Sri Lanka and China will continue for many years. He made these comments on Friday while visiting the Port Access Elevated Highway construction site in Colombo.

Gunasena was joined by K.W. Kandambi, Director General of the Road Development Authority, team members from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), and other top officials from the Ministry of Transport and Highways. They came to check the progress of the new bridge, which will be the longest in Sri Lanka.

The Port Access Elevated Highway is 5.27 kilometers long. It has two sides for vehicles to travel in both directions and four lanes in total. The bridge is being built with modern technology called segmental box girder prefabrication. Now, the project is almost finished.

“This is a perfect project for our country,” said Gunasena. He shared that the highway will help many people in Sri Lanka. “Once it is completed, we believe it will improve our economy. That’s the main goal of this highway.”

He also spoke about the good relationship between Sri Lanka and China. Gunasena said that China has helped Sri Lanka for many years, especially in building big infrastructure projects like roads and bridges.

“China will always be our friend,” he said. “They are helping us grow and build a better future for our people.”