The Central Cultural Fund says the inauguration of the lighting project at the Nine Arch Bridge, Demodara — a site popular among both local and foreign tourists — has been put on hold with no new date announced.

Director General of the Central Cultural Fund, Dr Nilan Cooray, said the delay was caused by an issue relating to obtaining power lines through a privately owned plot of land.

He explained that the landowner had objected to power lines being drawn across the private property to supply electricity to the transformer installed to illuminate the bridge and its surrounding area.

Although alternative methods to obtain the required power supply have already been planned, the process is somewhat complex, he said. As a result, although the project was originally scheduled for completion this month, it has now been pushed back with no confirmed timeline.

The project was launched with the aim of developing the Demodara Nine Arch Bridge and its surrounding area into a tourist zone. Dr Nilan Cooray added that the Central Cultural Fund, together with the Department of Railways, intends to establish this tourist zone as a joint collaborative initiative.