Goteik viaduct
Encyclopedia
The Goteik viaduct is a railway trestle in Nawnghkio, western Shan State
, Myanmar (also known as Burma). The bridge is between the two towns of Pyin U Lwin
, the summer capital of the former British colonial administrators of Burma, and Lashio
, the principal town of northern Shan State.
It is the highest bridge in Myanmar and when it was completed, the largest railway trestle in the world. The bridge is located approximately 100 km northeast of Mandalay.
The bridge was constructed in 1899 and completed in 1900 by Pennsylvania and Maryland Bridge Construction. The components were made by the Pennsylvania Steel Company, and the parts were shipped from the United States. The rail line was constructed as a way for the British Empire to expand their influence in the region. The construction project was overseen by Sir Arthur Rendel, engineer for the Burma Railroad Company.
).
Due to its technical and natural condition it was considered as a masterpiece of the world standard.
's acclaimed travelogue The Great Railway Bazaar
. He described the viaduct as " a monster of silver geometry in all the ragged rock and jungle, its presence was bizarre".
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
, Myanmar (also known as Burma). The bridge is between the two towns of Pyin U Lwin
Pyin U Lwin
Pyin U Lwin or Pyin Oo Lwin , formerly Maymyo , is a scenic hill town in Mandalay Division, Myanmar, located in the Shan Highland, some east of Mandalay, and at an altitude of 1070 meters .-History:...
, the summer capital of the former British colonial administrators of Burma, and Lashio
Lashio
Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. The population grew from around 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It is currently estimated at around 130,000.Lashio is the...
, the principal town of northern Shan State.
It is the highest bridge in Myanmar and when it was completed, the largest railway trestle in the world. The bridge is located approximately 100 km northeast of Mandalay.
The bridge was constructed in 1899 and completed in 1900 by Pennsylvania and Maryland Bridge Construction. The components were made by the Pennsylvania Steel Company, and the parts were shipped from the United States. The rail line was constructed as a way for the British Empire to expand their influence in the region. The construction project was overseen by Sir Arthur Rendel, engineer for the Burma Railroad Company.
Bridge data
The viaduct stretches 689 meters (2,260 feet) from end to end with 15 towers which span 40 feet (12 meters) along with a double tower 24 meters (80 feet) long. The 15 towers support 10 deck truss spans of 37 meters (120 feet) along with six plate girder spans 18 meters (60 feet) long and an approach span of 12 meters (40 feet). Many sources have put the height of the bridge at 250 meters (820 feet). This is supposedly a measurement to the river level as it flows underground through a tunnel at the point it passes underneath the trestle. The true height of the bridge as measured from the rail deck to the ground on the downstream side of the tallest tower is 102 meters (335 feet). The cost of the bridge construction was 111,200 £(Pound sterlingPound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
).
Due to its technical and natural condition it was considered as a masterpiece of the world standard.
Mention
The bridge was mentioned in Paul TherouxPaul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work of travel writing is perhaps The Great Railway Bazaar . He has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his...
's acclaimed travelogue The Great Railway Bazaar
The Great Railway Bazaar
The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia is a 1975 travelogue written by the American novelist Paul Theroux. It recounts Theroux's four-month journey across Asia by train, travelling through Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, before finally returning via the...
. He described the viaduct as " a monster of silver geometry in all the ragged rock and jungle, its presence was bizarre".