Nine Arches Bridge, Demodara
| Nine Arches Bridge | |
|---|---|
|
Nine arches bridge in Demodara | |
| Coordinates | 6°52′36″N 81°03′42″E / 6.876709°N 81.061622°ECoordinates: 6°52′36″N 81°03′42″E / 6.876709°N 81.061622°E |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Stones, bricks and cement |
| Total length | 300 ft (91.44m) |
| Width | 25 ft (7.62m) |
| Height | 80 ft (24.38m) |
| No. of spans | 9 |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1921 |
The Nine Arches Bridge (Sinhalese: අහස් නමයේ ආරුක්කු පාලම, also called The Bridge in the sky)[1] is one of the most iconic bridges in Sri Lanka and is one of the best examples of British railway constructions when Ceylon was yet a colony of the British Empire. It is located in Demodara, between Ella and Demodara railway stations. As of the past decade 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.
Loosely founded, albeit popular rumours suggest that when construction work commenced on the bridge, the Great War began between the empires of Europe and the steel consignment assigned for this site was reallocated to Britain's War related projects at the battlefront. As a result when the work came to a standstill the locals came forward and built the bridge with solid stone bricks and cement without steel.
References
- ↑ "Demodara Nine Arch Bridge". Retrieved 16 June 2015.