Part of U Bein Bridge in Mandalay collapsed at 2:10 pm on 29 October due to the large number of visitors.
The Department of Archeology and National Museums (Mandalay Branch) started repairing the broken part of the bridge on 30 October and will complete it within 3 days.
An official from the Department of Archaeology and National Museums (Mandalay Branch) said that the bridge has been around for more than 170 years, and the day of the incident was the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut.
“The department carries out preservation. It was broken due to the large number of visitors on 29 October. Two eight-foot-wide divisions broke, and preparations will be made to repair three divisions. The pillars have been planted up to a depth of five feet. Today, two new bridge pillars have been made. The duration of the preparation work is three days.
“As it is an ancient teak bridge, it is being replaced with teak pillars, and the bridge pillars are 25 feet long, and the pillars are buried five feet into the ground and erected. The steps and floors will also be newly prepared. Taungthaman boat team and local people participate and help in the repair work.
“It is called U Bein Bridge because it was built by a man named U Bein, and it is also called Taungthaman Bridge because it crosses the Taungthaman Lake. It is more crowded than usual on office holidays. For the bridge to be sustainable for a long time, visitors need to maintain it as well”, an official told The Global New Light of Myanmar (GNLM).
The bridge was built in 1211 Myanmar Year during the reign of King Bagan of the Amarapura era. It has 1,086 pillars and 482 divisions. The length of the bridge is 3,967 feet.
The bridge is more than 170 years old and it took two years to build. — Maung Aye Chan/KZL
