The illuminated new Kelani Bridge, designed using stay cables to connect the two main pylons with the bridge deck and to share weight of the loads from the bridge deck. Engineers tested the lighting systems of the new bridge to be commissioned soon. In 2014, then President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Highways Minister had initiated the New Kelani Bridge project and signed for the plans. The bridge would adorn the Kelani River and increase the splendour of the capital and soon be a landmark attraction among locals and visitors.