Afterwards, some of the ceremony’s 3,000 participants rode bicycles or took part in mini-marathons on the 850-meter-long wooden bridge. The bridge is located in Sangkhla Buri District of Kanchanaburi and is believed to be the second longest timber-structured bridge in the world.
It is known to Sangkhla Buri residents as Saphan Mon and officially as Auttamanusorn Bridge. The bridge spans the River Song Kalia and links Sangkhla Buri town and Ban Wangka, a settlement inhabited by ethnic Mon people.
The bridge was originally erected in the mid-1980s and, despite being constructed of timber, lasted until July 2013. Part of the bridge was washed away when torrential rain triggered heavy flooding.
The original bridge was built by the Mon and it became one of Sangkhla Buri’s most famous tourism draws. After it was damaged in the storms, a construction company was contracted to repair it. The contractor did not finish the job and the 9th Infantry Division was called in to help.
Iconic Kanchanaburi bridge reopens in style
News in Asia
Merit making ceremonies marked the reopening of one of Kanchanaburi’s landmark bridges on Saturday. Kanchanaburi governor Wanchai Osukonthip led local dignitaries and military personnel attached to the 9th Infantry Division in donating alms to monks at the ceremony.