MAGA constructs iconic Manning Market Complex in Peliyagoda

The iconic new Manning Market Complex in Peliyagoda was inaugurated on 20 November by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The complex will house 1,192 shops and is part of the new commercial hub in Peliyagoda, bordering Sri Lanka’s most populous districts.

Relocation of the Manning Market to its new home in Peliyagoda provides vendors with larger, cleaner premises, and better access to storage, parking, and waste-management. With on-schedule completion at this critical juncture, the new market complex will provide additional safety at Colombo’s primary hub for wholesale of fresh produce. As a further step toward development of Sri Lanka’s capital city, the project will also ease traffic congestion in the city centre and release underutilised land to develop the multi-modal transport hub at Fort.

Initiated in 2013 by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) under the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the project is a long-overdue infrastructure and accessibility upgrade for one of Sri Lanka’s busiest marketplaces. The new complex covers a total floor area of 450,000 sq. ft. and comprises five blocks that include a ramp, elevated road, and bridge link between two of the blocks. Alongside the shops and trading space that makes up the heart of the complex, the 15-acre property also comprises cool-rooms, restaurants and cafeterias, medical centres, banks, accommodation and rest areas, and a large car park.

Designed by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB), the complex features two large curved wings built around a central elevated road for convenient unloading and goods-handling. The new building complex also incorporates an environmental-friendly open design that maximises space and natural light. In addition, giant skylights and large solar arrays on rooftops provide further natural light and renewable energy for running of the premises.

As the Main Contractor, MAGA’s scope of work included all civil, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and road works. Commenting on the successful completion of the project, Maga Engineering Chairman and Managing Director M.G. Kularatne stated: “Despite a severely challenging period resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to pool our resources and accelerate the construction of the complex with the guidance of the UDA and CECB. We are proud to have constructed a lasting icon for Sri Lanka which will greatly benefit the urban economy at a time of need.”

Maga Engineering is Sri Lanka’s largest construction company and a key partner in developing the nation’s infrastructure. Over the last three decades, MAGA has delivered lasting social infrastructure in education, healthcare, transport, leisure and commercial sectors, spanning a built area of over 21 million square feet, a road network of 4,000 km and water schemes providing drinking water to 3.5 million residents.