Devil’s Bridge restoration to be completed within three months

Colombo, January 1 (Daily Mirror) - The restoration work on the Yaka Palama, popularly known as the Devil’s Bridge in Peradeniya, is expected to be completed within the next two to three months, Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB) Engineer Mihira Gunasena said.

Speaking to the media, Gunasena said one of the bridge piers had been continuously leaning at a rate of about six millimetres per day following recent floods. Subsequent investigations by engineers, with the assistance of divers, revealed that a large cavity had formed beneath the middle pier of the bridge.

He said the cavity was filled using underwater concrete, after which the leaning of the pier was successfully halted. Plans are now underway to proceed with the restoration work and to resume train services over the bridge once repairs are completed.

Earlier, the Sri Lanka Navy carried out a major operation to clear massive debris accumulated at the Devil’s Bridge in Peradeniya, restoring the water flow that had been blocked due to Cyclone Ditwah. The two-week operation was described as crucial in safeguarding the bridge structure and facilitating repair work.

A large-scale operation was launched on Monday (December 15) near the Peradeniya railway bridge to remove a major obstruction in the Mahaweli River, which had posed significant challenges to engineers for more than ten days.