The First Road-Rail Bridge of Sri Lanka
Bridges that are used by both trains and motor vehicles are known as road-rail bridges. These can range from a railway line running down the center of a road to more complex structures where the railroad goes over or under a paved road.
In the early 20th century, Sri Lanka had the distinction of having two unique road-rail bridges. The first, built in 1922, was the Manampitiya road-rail Bridge over the Mahaweli River, connecting the North Central Province with Batticaloa. The second was the Oddamavadi Bridge (also known as the Valachchanai Bridge), built in 1924 across the Valaichchenai lagoon in the Eastern Province.
The Manampitiya road-rail Bridge is a long, narrow iron structure spanning 296 meters across the Mahaweli River. It is the only access point between the Eastern and Central Provinces for around 80 km of the river.
The bridge's width is approximately 4.5 meters, with the railway line running in the center. The Mahaweli River flows over 50 meters below the bridge....
In the early 20th century, Sri Lanka had the distinction of having two unique road-rail bridges. The first, built in 1922, was the Manampitiya road-rail Bridge over the Mahaweli River, connecting the North Central Province with Batticaloa. The second was the Oddamavadi Bridge (also known as the Valachchanai Bridge), built in 1924 across the Valaichchenai lagoon in the Eastern Province.
The Manampitiya road-rail Bridge is a long, narrow iron structure spanning 296 meters across the Mahaweli River. It is the only access point between the Eastern and Central Provinces for around 80 km of the river.
The bridge's width is approximately 4.5 meters, with the railway line running in the center. The Mahaweli River flows over 50 meters below the bridge....
