Damaged suspension bridges should be treated as heritage

The bridge at Dodanwela

Suspension bridge at Peradeniya

Along with other bridges in Sri Lanka, old suspension Bridges, too,  suffered from Cyclone Ditwah floods. People used to enjoy walking along these old bridges or  “sangilipalam” as they were called in Sinhala. 

The bridge at Lewella was  washed away and its pieces are lying in the river.  The old bridge was neglected after a new concrete bridge was constructed;  people brought to the authorities’ attention the need to maintain the old suspension bridge for its historical value and scenic beauty, but such requests fell on deaf  ears.  Tourists used to visit this bridge for a lovely evening walk.  But all that is gone now and the country has lost a valuable piece of heritage.

As young school boys, we would go swinging on these bridges and walk to the middle of the bridge and enjoy the  view. The bridge’s swinging motion gave us great pleasure. We even used to jump up and down at the  middle for  thrills.  All that is gone now. 

There is another bridge of this type   which connects the Royal Botanical Gardens  to Gannoruwa. This was better maintained but  the iron frame  was twisted by the cyclone.  For the sake of both history and its beauty,  this bridge could be repaired at a cost.

 Then there is the other swinging bridge at Dodanwela.  It should be preserved for posterity.