Nine Arch Bridge

Historical Viaduct Bridge

This magnificent Nine Arch Bridge between Ella and Demodara stations is just a few kilometres along the track from the Demodara station. This viaduct bridge built during the British Colonial period is the largest in Sri Lanka. It was built with blocks of stone and cement without any reinforcing iron or concrete. The tall arches take the bridge on a semi-circular path to connect to the mountains. Located almost 3,100 feet above sea level, this 99.6ft high bridge is called “Ahas namaye palama” (Nine skies bridge) in Sinhala. When you stand underneath it and look up there is a beautiful sight of ‘nine skies’ through the nine arches, hence the Sinhala name. This bridge is also called ‘The Bridge in the sky’ due to its sheer height.