port network up to distant corners of the country from the capital. Although there is a possibility to reconstruct the road network within the capital with the help of the ruins of 19 small and large stone and wooden bridges across Malvatu Oya and it’s tributaries and also irrigation canals no adequate information could be found on the gradual progress of a road system that existed for more than 1500 years(Vidanapathirana, 2012). Yet, we come across certain factors revealing bleak information regarding the development and the progress of a road system that centred round the main city of Anuradhapura from the 1st century AD. As an introduction for their findings, the British in the 19th century used such information as their base and also jungle infested roads.
Around the area associated with the main city bridges connecting a multitude of roads forming a cluster have been mapped out as a result of these findings. There were thirteen bridges constructed over Malvatu Oya and out of the three roads connecting the main southern and eastern roads which cartable. Apart from the three main stone bridges ruins of seven small stone bridges have been discovered. These bridges known as Jamhasethu in Visuddhimagga are six to eight feet in breath (Visud. 301). It is inbred that four to five pedestrians could cross horizontally at a time over these bridges. May be these bridges had been used by carts smaller in size when crossing the Malvatu Oya. By crossing the bridges over Malvatu Oya and it’s tributaries one could enter the access roads to Ruvanvalisaya, Sri Mahabodhi, Jetavanarama viharaya and turn to Rajaveediya too. From rajaveediya same routs entered the metropolitan area later to move through four main gates and then enter the national road network past the main stone bridges. (Vidanapathirana, 2012;2016). They were straight roads leading to all four directions proportionately in across pattern. These principles were visible as main aspects of town planning in Anuradhapura as well as in Polonnaruva. Streets within the city were fifteen to twenty feet in breath and this was a common aspect in both cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruva(Vidanapathirana,2012; 2013).
Inner city of Anuradhapura had a major road network extending onwards the four main gates north south east and the west. According to the excavation done rajaveediya leaving the inner city from the southern gate was 58 feet wide (ASCAR 1960; Ratnayake, 1984). Ruin of a building 25 feet in length and 16 ft. in breath, inferred to be a watch post has been found on highway at the middle of the southern gate(Ratnayake, 1984). Kautilyain his Arthasastra says that the entrances to cities and the royal highways has to be 48 ft. in width(KA :53). In contemporary China according to their norms main roads in a city had to be 50 ft. width. Main roads according to Roman standards had to be 25 ft. wide. An excavation was carried out at a four ways junction in the capital Chhang-an in China. It was discovered that roads in the city to be 19.7ft. in width (Needham ,1971).
Evidences of historical and archaeological documents
Certain historical records indicating significant incidents of the past and also information records about the royals and the royalty also contain valuable hints about the prevailed routes and roadways that had existed in the country. Inscriptions depicting royal grants, activities related to military operations and provincial economic affairs appear to carry significant information about the road system that existed within the island. Hence in a way it is possible to re-construct the road network that had been in use by cartography with the help of geographical expansion and historical and archaeological data and transport component, like bridges, ancient road tracks and gavu pillars. For this propose provincial maps prepared by the Dutch and the British during their rule will contribute to a great extent. Neglected jungle covered ancient roads made use of by that British during their archaeological exploration in the Dry Zone were of much importance for the tas