The Guillemard Bridge (Malay: Jambatan Guillemard Jawi: جمبتن ڬويلليمارد) is a single track railway truss bridge located in Kusial, Tanah Merah District, Kelantan, Malaysia. It is second of the oldest railway bridges in the country after Victoria Bridge in Perak, although unlike Victoria Bridge, this bridge is still in use today.
Etymology
The bridge was named after the British Governor for the Straits Settlements, Sir Laurence Guillemard.
History
The bridge was constructed between May 1920 and July 1924 by The Metro Carriage Wagon & Finance Co of Wednesbury, England as a crossing over the Kelantan River. The bridge was officially opened on 1925 by Almarhum Sultan Muhammad IV of Kelantan.
The 609.6m bridge, said to be the longest railway bridge in the country, is a technological marvel and is still standing strong after nearly a century. The strong, black solid steel bridge has a history worth telling.
In December 1941, at the start of the World War II in Malaya, the British forces retreating south to Kuala Krai, destroyed the last span of the bridge to prevent the Imperial Japanese Army advancing.[2] It remained impassable to traffic until it was reconstructed and reopened to traffic on 7 September 1948.
The bridge was used by all vehicles until February 1988 when a new bridge, Tanah Merah Bridge was completed along Federal Route 4, a few kilometres away.
See also
- Transport in Malaysia
- Victoria Bridge, another colonial railway bridge in Malaysia
References
- ^ https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/04/kelantan-to-propose-guillemard-bridge-as-world-heritage-site
- ^ "Asia's iconic 'Jungle Railway'". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
Recent Comments