Kalutara Bridge : An Unspoken Heritage

Kalutara Bridge  Kalutara Bridge  Kalutara Bridge

Sri Lanka, also known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean is adorned with the beautiful mother nature and claims a proud history going back as far as 500 BC. Colonialism plays a significant role in the country’s olden times.

It was under the influence of Portuguese, Dutch and the British in their respective eras. Several historic sites in Sri Lanka originated during these periods and still remains as evidence of these influences. The Kalutara Bridge is such significant landmark inherited as a result of the Colonial period.

Kalutara bridge is the connecting line between the western and southern borders of the country. J. R. Mosse, Director of the PWD (Public works department) is the pioneer in designing and building the bridge and it was the largest bridge on the island built during the early 1900s. It was considered the first concrete bridge in Sri Lanka as well.

The old bridge comprised of two separate bridges, each with 6 spans of lattice girders where a single girder was an enormous 100ft long.

It is separated by a ridge in the middle of the river (Kalu Ganga) and it was opened for road traffic in August 1877 along with a single line of rails in the middle. It was 450ft in length. Currently, There are twin bridges for railway and one for the road traffic. And it is a perfect place to watch the sunset.

History

Being one of the largest bridges in Sri Lanka, the origins of the Kalutara Bridge date back to the early 1990s. Initially, the bridge had two separate bridges, each including 6 spans of lattice girders. Both the bridges were separated by a ridge which was in the middle of the ‘Kalu Ganga’. It was first opened for road traffic in 1877.

Significance

The bridge is a significant landmark in Kalutara due to its link between the southern border and western border of the country. When travelling from the western end of the bridge towards the southern end, you will witness the majestic view of the 3 stories-high Kalutara Viharaya. Any Buddhist will not forget to offer a small sacrifice when passing the temple.

Location

You will find plenty of attractions in the vicinity of the bridge. The Kalutara Bodhiya, Richmond Castle and Kalutara Viharaya are some such places. If you are staying at one of the many hotels in Kalutara close to the bridge, like Turyaa Kalutara, you can also visit many other attractions in the vicinity.

Did you know?

Locals say on very clear mornings one can see Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) Mountain from the bridge. Which is, in turn, the starting point of Kalu River. That would make Kalu River the only river in Sri Lanka of which starting point and ending point can be seen at the same time.

Kalutara Bridge  

О районе Калутара

Калутара расположена примерно в 42 км к югу от Коломбо. Когда-то Калутара была торговым пунктом, торговавшим специями, и находилась под властью португальцев, голландцев и британцев. Город славится качественными бамбуковыми корзинами и циновками, а также сочными мангостинами.

38-метровый мост Калутара был построен в устье реки Калу-Ганга и служит важным связующим звеном между западной и южной границами страны. На южном конце моста находится трёхэтажный храм Калутара Вихара, буддийский храм, построенный в 1960-х годах и являющийся единственной полой ступой в мире.

О Западной провинции

Западная провинция — самая густонаселённая провинция Шри-Ланки. Здесь расположена законодательная столица Шри-Джаяварденепура, а также Коломбо, административный и деловой центр страны. Западная провинция разделена на 3 основных округа: Коломбо (642 км²), Гампаха (1386,6 км²) и Калутара (1606 км²). Будучи экономическим центром Шри-Ланки, город представлен всеми крупными местными и международными корпорациями, а также всеми крупнейшими дизайнерскими и масс-маркет ритейлерами, так что будьте готовы побаловать себя шопинг-терапией в Западной провинции.

Имея самую высокую численность населения среди всех провинций, почти все ведущие учебные заведения острова расположены в Западной провинции. Среди университетов провинции — Университет Коломбо, Университет Шри-Джаяварденепуры, Университет Келании, Открытый университет Шри-Ланки, Буддийский и палийский университет Шри-Ланки, Университет обороны имени генерала сэра Джона Котелавалы и Университет Моратувы. В Западной провинции находится наибольшее количество школ в стране, включая национальные, провинциальные, частные и международные школы.

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