Demodara’s nine-arch Bridge - Sri Lanka

The century old nine-arch bridge in Demodara in Sri Lanka...

It's location at Gotuwela, between the Ella and Demodara stations, The blue train from Colombo to Badulla, navigating Demodaras’s curvy nine-arch bridge. It is an engineering marvel.

The bridge has stood the test of the, for over a century without any sings of weakness. At the time machinery were used in this construction, a concrete mixer, a crane and 2 derricks. Mr. Marwood designed and built the bridge in two years.

Highlights of nine-arch bridge

The Badulla Railway Extension starts from Bandarawela at an elevation of 4100 feet above the sea level and descends through mountainous country for 20 miles ro Badulla.

The largest concrete viaduct, constructed by native labour under British supervision and direction is situated at 9m 20c from Bandarawela and 1 ¼ miles from Ella, the nearest station.

The railway is on a nine degree curves (6.37 chains radius) at the site of the viaduct and the gradient is 1 in 44. The sharp curved and nature of the foundation made it desirable to adopt nine spans of 30” and semi circular arches 15” radius left the least room for failure due to act of carelessness arising from the class of labour employed and the shortage of skilled supervision.

The greatest height from the rail level to the bed of stream is 100’ 6” and the length of the viaduct is 400”.

Materials used cement of British Manufacture, stones and sand for concrete obtained in the vicinity; arch centres and other woodwork made locally from imported Burmah teak.  

The work had been put in hand by Marwood as Engineer in charge of that section of the railway, under the approval of Chief Construction Engineer, Railway Extension, M.Cole Bowen.

Mr. Marwood’s submitted report to the Intuition of Engineers, Ceylon in 1922.