Nine Arch Bridge (Ella)

Nine Arch Bridge (Ella)

The Nine Arch Bridge (Sinhala: ආරුක්කු නමයේ පාලම) is a masonry arch bridge/viaduct located on Badulla railway line in Badulla District, Sri Lanka. The bridge is situated between Ella and Demodara railway stations and about 2.2 km distance from Ella town along the Passara road. It is considered one of the largest viaducts in the country.  The viaduct contains 9 arches and therefore, it is known among the locals as "Nine Arch Bridge" or " Ahas Nawaya Palama  (nine skies bridge)". Presently, the bridge is popular among local and foreign tourists as a picturesque spot especially as it is located in a dense jungle and agricultural setting. History The bridge was built by native labour under British supervision and direction in the later 19th century by joining two bog mountains when the extension of the Badulla railway line from Bandarawela was carried out (Marwood, 1923). The designs for the project were prepared and the work put in hand by Harold Cuthbert Marwood, the eng…