India dispatches 10 more Bailey Bridges to Sri Lanka

Colombo/Visakhapatnam, Jan 31 (IANS) India on Saturday dispatched to Colombo a consignment of 10 Bailey Bridges to assist restoration of critical connectivity in parts of the country severely affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

"India continues to stand with Sri Lanka to support reconstruction efforts after Cyclone Ditwah. To assist restoration of critical connectivity, a consignment of 10 Bailey Bridges was despatched today from Visakhapatnam to Colombo on-board INS Gharial," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.

According to the MEA, the supply of bridges is a part of India’s Special Economic Package of USD 450 million announced during the recent visit of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar to Sri Lanka, after India’s emergency HADR support through Operation SagarBandhu.

Last week, a 120-foot Bailey Bridge on the B-492 Kandy–Ragala Road was jointly inaugurated by Satyanjal Pandey, Deputy High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, and Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, Member of Parliament, under India’s Post-Ditwah Reconstruction Assistance.

The newly commissioned bridge restored a vital road link and strengthened connectivity for communities in the region. It re-established an essential transport corridor critical for passenger movement, the supply of essential goods, and the revival of local economic activity.

According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, this is the second Bailey Bridge on the Kandy–Ragala Road constructed under India's USD 450 million Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Assistance to Sri Lanka. It follows the launch of a 100-foot Bailey Bridge on the Kandy-Ragala Road (KM-21) on 10 January 2026, jointly inaugurated by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka and the Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena, and the Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, Madhura Senevirathna.

"The project forms part of India's reconstruction and rehabilitation assistance extended to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which caused severe disruptions to connectivity due to landslides and the collapse of existing bridges. The newly commissioned Bailey Bridges have significantly improved access and mobility for communities in the affected areas, particularly in challenging hilly terrain. These restoration efforts are being undertaken in close coordination with the Sri Lankan Army and the Road Development Authority (RDA)," read a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

"In the next phase, additional Bailey bridges will be constructed over the coming weeks to ensure comprehensive restoration of connectivity across all affected areas," it added.