Is the Nine-Arch Bridge in danger over a recently discovered crack?

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A video sweeping across social media sounded the alarm, claiming that Sri Lanka’s beloved Nine Arch Bridge had cracked and could come crashing down at any moment. For a landmark that carries trains and thousands of visitors across the Ella hills every single day, that warning was bound to spread fast. We investigated. Here is what we found.

Social Media Posts:

“Is the Nine Arch Bridge about to collapse? Here is the real story. A crack has appeared on Ella’s Nine Arch Bridge, one of Sri Lanka’s most stunning and world-renowned tourist attractions. Despite thousands crossing it every hour, and with visitor safety a genuine concern, the authorities have said nothing about it so far. Is this truly a threat to the bridge’s survival, or is this decades-old marvel still standing strong?” This was the video circulating on social media.

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We dug beneath the surface to separate fact from fiction.

Fact Check:

The renowned Nine Arch Bridge sits between the Ella and Demodara railway stations in Badulla District, Uva Province, and ranks among Sri Lanka’s top tourist draws. Had any crack genuinely appeared on it recently, mainstream media and other credible official sources would surely have reported it. Our investigation found no such report from any reliable official source confirming a recent crack in the bridge.

We did, however, find mainstream media reports from 2025 about water leakage on the Nine Arch Bridge. Those reports are available here and here.

The National Building Research Organization inspected the Nine Arch Bridge in 2025.

Our investigation found that the National Building Research Institute inspected the bridge in 2025, following reports of water leakage and a crack. The Institute documented this on its official website here.

It states that public attention had been drawn to signs of cracking and water leakage on the Nine Arch Bridge, prompting a joint inspection by experts from the National Building Research Organization and the Department of Railways on October 25, 2025.

The inspection found no structural cracks or major defects in the bridge, which stands 300 feet long, 80 feet high and 25 feet wide, though minor water seepage was observed between its pillars.

Experts believe the probable cause is blocked or clogged drainage channels meant to carry rainwater off the bridge. The report also notes that technical recommendations to stop the leakage are being drawn up.

Mainstream media outlets reported this as well.

Commenting on the matter, the Director General of the National Building Research Organization, Asiri Karunawardena, said the Sri Lanka Railway Department and the NBRO carried out the on-site inspection together to examine public concerns about cracks and water leakage and to confirm the bridge’s structural stability. He stressed that no cracks were detected anywhere on the bridge, contrary to public concern, though he confirmed that water was leaking at certain points. Further coverage is available in The Morning and the Daily Mirror.

The NBRO’s Badulla District Office reported no recent crack.

When we made inquiries, the NBRO’s Badulla District Office confirmed that no such recent crack on the bridge had been reported.

The Ella Station Master confirmed trains run as usual.

Since trains regularly cross the Nine Arch Bridge, the nearest station masters would be aware of any such issue. We therefore contacted the Ella Station Master’s office and were told that no recent crack on the bridge had been reported and that trains continue to run as usual.

Local journalists confirmed the crack claim is not new.

We also reached out to local journalists in the Badulla area who had reported on the 2025 water leakage at the Nine Arch Bridge. They confirmed that no new crack had appeared, and that talk of a crack was not a recent development, as similar rumors had circulated the previous year too. Prompted by that earlier discussion, the Building Research Organization had inspected the bridge, identified a spot with water leakage, and concluded that the bridge had sustained no damage.

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Conclusion:

Our fact-check finds that the circulating claims of a recent crack endangering the famous Nine Arch Bridge are misleading. The NBRO’s Badulla District Office confirmed that no such recent crack had been reported, and local journalists in Badulla confirmed that no new crack had formed, noting that this narrative has simply been recirculating since last year.

Talk of a crack has in fact persisted since 2025, prompting an inspection that year by the National Building Research Organization. That inspection, carried out jointly with the Department of Railways, identified minor water seepage between the pillars but found no structural cracks and no serious danger to the bridge. The seepage was attributed to blockages in the rainwater drainage system, and technical steps to fix it were being prepared. Director General Asiri Karunawardena confirmed the bridge remains structurally stable.