Sri Lanka Begins Building Berth At Eastern Port

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has begun construction of a $16 million berth in the eastern Trincomalee Harbor to increase cargo handling, according to ports ministry officials. Work on the new berth, which will be able to handle both break-bulk and container traffic and would accommodate vessels up to 50,000 tons, is expected to be completed by July 2001. Trincomalee Harbor, approximately 150 miles northeast of the capital Colombo, currently has two privately run berths to handle flour and cement.