Thondamannar Bridge() is a road and pedestrian bridge on the
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...
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Point Pedro
Point Pedro ( ta, பருத்தித்துறை, translit=Paruttittuṟai; si, පේදුරු තුඩුව, translit=Pēduru Tuḍuva) is a town, located in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka, at the northernmost point of the island.
...
highway across the
Vadamarachchi Lagoon
Vadamarachchi lagoon ( ta, வடமராட்சி கடல்நீரேரி) is a lagoon in Jaffna District, northern Sri Lanka. The lagoon is sometimes referred to as Thondamannar lagoon. The lagoon separates the Vadamarachchi region f ...
near the
Valvettithurai town of the
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province ( ta, வட மாகாணம் ''Vaṭa Mākāṇam''; si, උතුරු පළාත ''Uturu Paḷāta'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The province ...
in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. It was built in 1953
and destroyed in 1987, and rebuilt afterwards in 2004.
The Thondamannar Bridge was primarily used as a
barrage since the beginning of its construction period to prevent sea water entering the
Vadamarachchi Lagoon
Vadamarachchi lagoon ( ta, வடமராட்சி கடல்நீரேரி) is a lagoon in Jaffna District, northern Sri Lanka. The lagoon is sometimes referred to as Thondamannar lagoon. The lagoon separates the Vadamarachchi region f ...
that serves as a primary water source for several villages in the neighborhood.
The Barrage was destroyed in 1987 when it came under fire from the
Sri Lankan Army
ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம்
, image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png
, image_size = 180px
, caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army
, start_date ...
.
The sluice gates before its destruction played a dual role not only preventing seawater entering into the villages but also allowing the floodwater flowing from the land-side into the sea during rainy season.
The bridge along with the barrage was rebuilt by the Department of Irrigation in 2004 and now serves the
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...
-
Point Pedro
Point Pedro ( ta, பருத்தித்துறை, translit=Paruttittuṟai; si, පේදුරු තුඩුව, translit=Pēduru Tuḍuva) is a town, located in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka, at the northernmost point of the island.
...
highway, a key link in the
Jaffna District and the
Northern Province.
References
Bridges completed in 1953
Bridges in Jaffna District
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