In a concerning development, the Sangupiddy Bridge—a crucial transportation link connecting the Mannar, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna districts along the A-32 road—faces significant safety risks.
Constructed at a cost of Rs 1,037 million and opened in January 2011, the bridge has been vital for Eelam Tamil transportation and trade. However, the Road Development Authority (RDA) recently announced restrictions on heavy vehicles crossing the bridge due to severe corrosion in the deck plates, calling into question the bridge's ability to handle current traffic levels safely.
According to the Sunday Times, the RDA's northern office informed the Senior Superintendent of Police in Kilinochchi on Friday that heavy vehicles are now prohibited from using the bridge, citing urgent public safety concerns. T. Niththiyanantham, a regional RDA engineer, stated that these measures are essential to prevent further deterioration until necessary repairs can be carried out.
This decision has sparked frustration among local residents and frequent bridge users, who see it as yet another sign of neglect in the region’s infrastructure.
A fisherman from Mannar who regularly transports fish to Colombo for export expressed his anger, saying, “I’m sure someone would’ve pocketed some money from this. We don’t know how long it will take them to repair this bridge.” This sentiment reflects widespread anger at the neglect of the Tamil homeland by Sri Lankan authorities, particularly as the road leading to the bridge is also in a state of disrepair, marred by dangerous potholes that add to travel hazards.
The Sangupiddy Bridge serves as a vital artery, significantly reducing travel time and distance between Colombo and Jaffna by cutting 120 kilometres from the route compared to the longer A-9 Jaffna-Kandy Highway, thereby saving travellers approximately three hours.
This situation underscores broader issues of infrastructure neglect in the North-East, where discrimination, corruption, mismanagement and insufficient maintenance have plagued public projects for years.
Despite repeated promises by successive governments to fund the region's development since the 2009 genocide infrastructure in the Tamil homeland remains underfunded and in disrepair. Many Tamils argue that the government’s long-standing exclusion of the region from meaningful development is part of a systematic neglect that continues to hinder progress in the North-East.
