SRI LANKA ~Gotuwala Nine Arch Viaduct~

An impressive historical bridge view...another one from postcard friend Ravindra who also collect trains on postcards... he wrote that he travelled over this bridge several times...Thanks a lot Ravindra!!


With nice  "World Tourism Day 2011" stamp
Seas, lakes and rivers
(Issued 27-09-2011)

©Photo A Felix J. Perera

The ‘Nine Arch Bridge’ between Ella and Demodara railway stations on the Badulla line is an outstanding civil engineering marvel of the British colonial era.

Gotuwala Viaduct  was built in 1921 and is located almost 3,100 feet above sea level, the largest viaduct in the country is 99.6ft high and has been built entirely of solid rocks, bricks and cement without using a single piece of steel.

People call it the ‘Ahasnamayepalama’ (Bridge of Nine Skies) in Sinhala because of the view from below. When one stands underneath it and looks up it is a beautiful sight of ‘nine skies’ through the nine arches, hence the Sinhala name. One end of this curved nine-arch bridge is a tunnel.