Economic Development Project in Sri Lanka -V

 

 

The President declared open the renovated famous 18 Bend (Dahaata Wanguwa) Road of Sri Lanka's hill country today (May 06) at a ceremony in Ududumbara.

The road stretch of 41 kilometer has been widened to 15 meters and carpeted from Udathenna to Mahiyanganaya at a cost of five billion rupees. Asian Development Bank provided the financial assistance for the renovation, Eight bridges and 320 box culverts have been reconstructed while 37 culverts were widened along the road,

The 18 hair-pin bends were widened on a special request by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who instructed the officials to renovate the road without causing any damage to the historical value and natural beauty of the Kandy-Mahiyanganaya road which has a history of over 2,500 years. The widened and carpeted well-known 18 hairpin bend road will ease the high traffic congestion while reducing the dangerous nature of the road due to the narrowness and precipitous surrounding. The road was a bottleneck for motorists as it is not wide enough to ensure smooth flow of traffic. Constant heavy traffic congestion existed on the road throughout the whole day.

The 18-bend road, which was constructed by the British colonial rulers in the mid-19th century as an estate supply route, is considered to provide a challenging driving experience and picturesque view. It connects Kandy to Mahiyanganaya and stretches up to Padiyathalawa.

Courtesy : Department of Government Information   
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