Six-lane bridge to be constructed over Kelani River through Japan-Lanka JV

• 380-metre-long six-lane bridge to be constructed by SMCC-SANKEN JV
• Funds through a loan facility from Japan amounting to Yen 35,020 million
• Shortfall of funds to complete project from Department of National BudgetÂ

The Government yesterday decided to award a project to construct a new bridge over the Kelani River to a Japanese-Sri Lankan joint venture company.

The Cabinet approved a proposal by Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella to award the contract for the construction of the bridge to successful bidder SMCC-SANKEN JV, a joint venture between Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Ltd. and Sanken Construction Ltd.

In 2014 Sri Lanka received a loan of Japanese Yen 35,020 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the project, where a 380-metre-long six-lane bridge across the Kelani River and its approaches was to be constructed. However, as the funds through the loan were deemed inadequate for the construction of the new Kelani Bridge and its approach roads, the Department of National Budget will be providing additional financing throughout the four-year implementation period.

The conditions of the loan included a clause that the prime contractor is to be from Japan with the provision to award the contract to joint ventures provided that the nationality of the lead partner was Japanese while the other party could be either Japanese or Sri Lankan. Only three bids were received for the job, but following Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) evaluation only two bids were found substantially responsive to the requirements of the bidding documents, Cabinet was told.

Following evaluations by the TEC on price bids, the lowest substantially responsive bid has been submitted by SMCC-SANKEN JV at a bid price close to 35% lower than the Engineer’s Estimate, Minister Kiriella said in his proposal.