Nine Arches Bridge, Demodara, Railway bridge in Demodara, Sri Lanka
The Nine Arches Bridge in Demodara is a railway structure of stone and brick in Uva Province, stretching through a forested valley between tea plantations. The construction rises 24 meters (79 feet) and connects two slopes through a series of rounded arches that follow a gentle curve.
British engineers completed the construction during colonial times in 1921 to secure the railway connection through the hill country. Steel was scarce during World War I, so workers turned to traditional building materials instead.
Locals call the structure Ahas Namaye Palama, referring to the nine arches that curve through the jungle. When trains roll slowly across, visitors and villagers often gather at the edges to wave and take photographs.
Walking trails from nearby Ella lead to different viewpoints below and beside the structure. Trains cross several times daily, often in the morning and late afternoon when light is good for photography.
Granite, cement and brick bear the full weight of passing trains without any steel reinforcement. Local legend says the structure rose at a place where dense mist once made it hard to find direction through the forest.
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