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This is the biggest viaduct built in Sri Lanka, located between Ella and Demodara
railway station during the British Colonial period. This 99.6ft. High bridge is
called Ahas namaya palama in sinhala. When one stands underneath it and looks up
there 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, in one of pictures the
tunnel is visible.
There is a popular story to say that when construction work was commenced on the
bridge, the World War 1 broke-out and the steel consignment assigned for this site
was seized and was used for war related projects. When the work came to a standstill
the locals came forward and build the bridge with solid stone bricks and cement
with out steel. This massive bridge was built entirely of solid rocks, bricks and
cement without using a single piece of steel. The bridge was finally commissioned
in 1921.
Gotuwala viaduct is Located almost 3100 feet above the sea level.
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