• RDA, provincial roadways to be repaired as variations under existing procurement contracts 
• Almost 265 RDA Class AB roads and 35 bridges damaged; 180 already repaired and motorable

The Government is to fast track repairs of roads damaged by Cyclone Ditwah by incorporating them as variations under existing procurement contracts, the Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways reveals. 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Kumara Gunasena revealed that in an effort to fast track repairs of roads damaged across the island following Cyclone Ditwah, all affected Road Development Authority (RDA) and provincial roadways with existing procurement contracts would be repaired under those contracts as variations.

He stated: “For example, consider the Katugastota-Gannoruwa route – the Gohagoda-Halloluwa road. A procurement contract has already been initiated for its construction and carpeting. 

“However, a section of the road near Gohagoda has been damaged by earthslides, leading to its closure. We plan to carry out the repairs under the same procurement contract as a variation.”

However, the Deputy Minister conceded that for damaged roadways without existing procurement contracts, the repair work would have to go through the procurement process from the beginning.

Gunasena also pointed out that the damage to certain roadways caused by landslides was so extensive that repairing them would require acquiring approximately 100–200 metres of adjoining land. 

This will also necessitate obtaining a report from the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and repairs on these roadways will not proceed until the report is received.

He further revealed that the full extent of cyclone damage to the roadways had yet to be assessed but admitted that this was the most severe damage the roads had suffered in several decades.

Furthermore, the Deputy Minister revealed that Cyclone Ditwah had damaged approximately 265 Class AB roads under the RDA, of which around 180 had already been repaired and made motorable. 

Similarly, 35 bridges along these Class AB roads were damaged by the cyclone; repair work has been completed on one bridge, with four more currently under construction. 

Gunasena also noted that donations from Pakistan would fund the repair of three additional bridges. He added that as of Wednesday (3) evening, 27 bridges along provincial roads had been identified as requiring repairs.