A passing train
Over the arches.
Fabian Greiler from Vienna, Austria — CC BY 2.0 · Z thomas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Z thomas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Z thomas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jonashtand — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Z thomas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Z thomas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hasithakumara27 — CC BY-SA 4.0
A nine-arched stone railway viaduct spanning a forested valley between Ella and Demodara stations in Sri Lanka's hill country. Nicknamed the Bridge in the Sky, it is one of the finest examples of colonial-era railway engineering in the country. It was completed in 1919 by local labour under British supervision, designed to carry the line round a tight curve on a steep gradient, and built with concrete blocks and locally made sand-cement bricks. Folklore credits its construction to a local builder named Appuhami. The moment to wait for is a train crossing the arches between forest and tea gardens. Visitors sit on the slopes opposite or in cafes overlooking the bridge, and a short tunnel opens at one end. The visit is free. It is about a 45-minute walk from Ella town, or a tuk-tuk ride and a short path, per visitor guides. Ask about train times in advance, keep off the tracks when a train approaches, and come early in the morning before the crowds.
Over the arches.
All around.
At one end.
Demodara, near Ella, Badulla District
It is about a 45-minute walk from Ella town, or a tuk-tuk ride and a short path; the visit is free.
