Sixty per cent of the construction work of the new bridge across the Nawala canal in Rajagiriya to solve the heavy traffic congestion in Ethul Kotte-Nawala road has been completed, Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said yesterday. 

Minister Fernando said that he instructed officials to expedite the work to complete the construction to eliminate heavy traffic congestion during rush hours. 

The instructions have been given to the Secretary to the Ministry of Highways and Director General of Road Development Authority and Director-Construction of the Road Development Authority (RDA) during a meeting held at the ministry on Saturday to review the progress of the work of the new bridge being constructed linking Angampitiya Road in Ethul Kotte and the school avenue of the Nawala Rajagiriya road over the Nawala canal. 
Speaking to the media, the minister said the bridge containing two lanes is being constructed by the State Development and Construction Corporation under the supervision of the RDA at a cost of Rs 1,698.55 million. It would be 600 metres in length and 10.4 metres in width. In addition, there would be two pedestrian walks each of the width of 1.5 metres beside the bridge. A 60-metre-long access road would be constructed linking the bridge from the Angampitiya side and another of 40 metres in length would be constructed from the School lane side to the new bridge. The bridge is constructed on pillars minimising the damage to the surrounding marshland ecosystem, the minister said. 

This new bridge will eliminate the traffic congestion in the Rajagiriya town and ensure easy movement of vehicles coming from Kotte and Parliament road to enter the Nawala area, the minister said.       

• This new bridge will eliminate the traffic congestion in the Rajagiriya town and ensure easy movement of vehicles coming from Kotte and Parliament road to enter the Nawala area