Nine Arch Bridge

The Nine Arch Bridge (Sinhala: ආරුක්කු නමයේ පාලම; Tamil: ஒன்பது வளைவுகள் பாலம்) also called the Bridge in the Sky,[3] is a viaduct bridge in Sri Lanka and is one of the best examples of colonial-era railway construction in the nation.[4]

Nine Arch Bridge
Nine arches bridge
Nine Arches Bridge in Demodara
Coordinates6.876709°N 81.061622°E / 6.876709; 81.061622
Other name(s)The Bridge in the Sky
OwnerSri Lanka Railways
Heritage statusYes
Characteristics
MaterialStones, Bricks and Cement
Total length91 m (300 ft)[1]
Width7.6 m (25 ft)
Height24 m (80 ft)
No. of spans9
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks1
Track gauge5 ft 6 in
ElectrifiedNo
History
Constructed byP. K. Appuhami
Construction end1921[2]
Location

Location

It is located in Demodara, between Ella and Demodara railway stations. The surrounding area has seen a steady increase of tourism due to the bridge's architectural ingenuity and the profuse greenery in the nearby hillsides.[4]

History

The construction of the bridge is generally attributed to a local Ceylonese builder, P. K. Appuhami, in consultation with British engineers.[5][6] The chief designer and project manager of the 'Upcountry Railway Line of Ceylon' project was D. J. Wimalasurendra, a distinguished Ceylonese engineer and inventor. The designer of the viaduct was Harold Cuthbert Marwood of Railway Construction Department of Ceylon Government Railway. The 1923 report titled "Construction of a Concrete Railway Viaduct in Ceylon" published by the Engineering Association of Ceylon has details of all the records including the plans and drawings. [7]

Popular rumours suggest that when construction work commenced on the bridge, the Great War began between the empires of Europe and the steel assigned for this site was reallocated to Britain's War related projects at the battlefront. As a result, the work came to a standstill, leading the locals to build the bridge with stone bricks and cement, but without steel.[6][5]

  • A panoramic view of the Nine Arches Bridge
    A panoramic view of the Nine Arches Bridge
  • Nine Arches Bridge, Sri Lanka in 2017
    Nine Arches Bridge, Sri Lanka in 2017
  • Drone shot of the Nine Arches Bridge, Sri Lanka in 2023
    Drone shot of the Nine Arches Bridge, Sri Lanka in 2023

References
  1. "DEMODARA NINE ARCH BRIDGE". Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  2. "Demodara 9 Arch Bridge". Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  3. "Demodara Nine Arch Bridge". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. "Tourists at Nine Arch Bridge". Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  5. Demodara Nine Arch Bridge, Amazing Lanka
  6. Nine Arch Bridge, Lakpura
  7. IESL Construction report for the viaduct
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.