The bridge across the Hulanda Oya on the Embilipitiya-Middeniya main road, originating from the Kumbugodaara area collapsed together with a lorry yesterday morning.
The bridge had collapsed between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. while a lorry that was loaded with timber had attempted to cross it, with the lorry going down together with the collapsed bridge.
The collapsed bridge is connected to the main road used by all types of commuters including heavy vehicles to travel from Embilipitiya to Matara, Middeniya, Tangalle, and all other connected major cities and towns. The road with the collapsed bridge is one of the main roads that is used by more than thousands of vehicles to travel to Middeniya, Thorakolayaya, Embilipitiya, Matara, Tangalle and other key areas that are used by public transport buses and school buses daily.
The incident caused the traffic to come to a standstill and the water supply was disrupted in some areas as a result while all motorists have been urged to use alternative routes.
There have been no casualties reported due to the collapsing of the bridge. Together with the timber lorry, the driver and his assistant have been rescued by the nearby residents.
The residents and eye witnesses to the incident said that the bridge which was constructed in 1985 during the tenure of late President Ranasinghe Premadasa, had collapsed due to the widening of the road on both sides and also due to lack of any maintenance since the time it was constructed, although it is a vital bridge that is used by hundreds of thousands of commuters daily who travel on the Embilipitiya-Middeniya main road.
Varuna Dayaratne
