Access Engineering completes rehabilitation and improvement work of Jaffna Peninsula roads ahead of
Tuesday, 1 April 2014 00:38
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Rehabilitating and improving of the important connectivity road network – namely Jaffna-Kankesanturai (Road AB-16) of 18.2 km length, Jaffna-Palali (Road AB-18) of 17.5 km length and Puttur-Meesalai (Road AB-32) of 13.6 km length – in the Jaffna Peninsula has been successfully completed by Access Engineering PLC, ahead of schedule.
As a result of the development policy earmarked by the Government to rapidly improve the infrastructure development of the country, the Government accelerated parallel road developments within the Jaffna Peninsula, while rehabilitating the A9 road which connects the Jaffna peninsula to the rest of the country.
Under the above road rehabilitation program, the existing 4.1 metre wide carriageways were widened and asphalted up to 8.2 metres with two lanes and a cycle lane of 1.0 metre along each side, benefiting the entire population of approximately 550,000 people who reside within the Jaffna Peninsula.
This improved road network is linked to the Palali Domestic Airport, Kankesanthurai Sea Port, Chunnakam Power Station, Inuvil, Kokuvil, Tellippalai, Keerimalai, Thirunelveli and Urumpirai. Putthur-Meesalai is a ring road that bypasses Jaffna town and connects to Palali and Kankesanturai roads. This link starts at 299 KM post of A09 road and ends at Puttur Junction along Point Pedro road (AB20).
The main contractor was China Railway-5 (CR5) and the project was financed by the Government of China.
Non-availability of key construction materials within the Peninsula and the need to transport such materials from Iranamadu and Vavuniya was a major challenge to the project. In order to ensure continuity of material supply, Access Engineering established an asphalt production plant with a capacity of 80 MT/Hr at Muhamalai and a quarry/ crusher plant with a capacity of 150 MT/Hr at Vavuniya.
Project Manager Indika Pathirana said: “Jaffna and suburb townships were mostly congested with narrow connectivity roads. Therefore widening of existing roads from 4.1 metres to 8.2 metres was challenging as it involved extensive demolishing and reconstruction of boundary walls, properties and shifting of utility services. However, the widening-related works were carried out with the cooperation extended by the local communities.”
While this large-scale development contributed to the local economic development, Access Engineering took initiatives to improve the livelihood of the people by providing sufficient job opportunities to the local youth by involving them in the operations of the rehabilitation and improvement works.
Graduate engineers, surveyors and technicians from local technical institutions were given the opportunity to work in the project along with on-the-job trainings. Opportunities were also provided to local skilled tradesmen to form groups and to engage themselves as subcontractors in the construction sites especially with the interaction of local communities.
In addition to this, further measures were undertaken by the company in relation to its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in order to benefit the neighbouring communities and the surroundings.
