Railway Masters Warn Peradeniya Bridge Renovation Held Hostage by Kandy City Plan Delays

Station Masters Sound Alarm Over Stalled Infrastructure Project

The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters' Association (SLRSMA) has raised serious concerns that the long-awaited renovation of the Peradeniya Bridge remains indefinitely on hold, with the organisation alleging that unresolved issues surrounding the Kandy City Plan are the primary obstacle blocking progress on the critical infrastructure project.

A Bridge Caught in Bureaucratic Gridlock

According to the SLRSMA, authorities have indicated that reconstruction of the Peradeniya Bridge will not proceed until matters relating to the Kandy City Plan are first settled. The association has expressed deep frustration over what it describes as an unnecessary administrative entanglement that is delaying urgent and essential work on a structure of significant importance to the country's railway network.

Concerns Over Railway Safety and Connectivity

The Peradeniya Bridge serves as a vital crossing point along one of Sri Lanka's busiest railway corridors, connecting the hill country to the rest of the island's rail network. Any prolonged delay in its renovation raises pressing questions around passenger safety, operational reliability, and the broader efficiency of train services in the Central Province.

• The SLRSMA has called on relevant authorities to delink the bridge renovation from broader urban planning decisions
• The association urges immediate action to prioritise the structural integrity of the Peradeniya Bridge
• Railway workers and commuters in the hill country region are said to be increasingly anxious over the delays

The SLRSMA has made clear that allowing planning disputes to impede critical railway infrastructure repairs is unacceptable and potentially dangerous for the travelling public.

Calls for Urgent Government Intervention

The association is urging the relevant government ministries and municipal authorities to resolve the Kandy City Plan impasse without further delay, stressing that the safety and convenience of thousands of daily rail passengers must not be sacrificed to bureaucratic disagreements. Railway officials and commuter groups alike are expected to mount growing pressure on decision-makers to find an expedient resolution that allows renovation works on the Peradeniya Bridge to commence without further postponement.