UK contractor secures multi-million pound Sri Lanka bridges deal

Cleveland Bridge has won a £35M contract to build 210 road bridges for the Sri Lankan Government.

The contract was awarded following detailed negotiations with the Sri Lankan Government to provide essential communication links, improve rural infrastructure and help relieve poverty.

“The deal will ensure a steady supply of work at our Darlington plant for 12 to 18 months,” commented Andy Hall, Cleveland Bridge General Manager. “We will be undertaking superstructure design and fabrication of the steel bridges, which will then be exported in kit form to Sri Lanka, with erection supervised by us.”

The 210 road bridges will have various spans, but they will all consist of a single carriageway with pedestrian access on either side. Detailed site analysis and substructure design will be undertaken in Sri Lanka, and the first fabricated steelwork is expected to arrive on site early next year.

The scheme has had the assistance of Export Credit Guarantees Department of the British Government and the British High Commission in Sri Lanka.

“We are delighted to have secured this prestigious overseas contract,” summed up Mr Hall. “We are pursuing similar overseas projects and negotiations continue and we anticipate being able to announce these in the near future.”