Myanmar’s landmark bridge, once the world’s tallest rail viaduct, destroyed in fighting

A historic, colonial-era bridge in Myanmar that was the world’s tallest railway trestle when it came up has been destroyed during the fighting between the military junta and rebels in the ongoing conflict. The landmark 300 metres long Gokteik Bridge is at a height of 102 metres above a gorge and is still the highest bridge in Myanmar. It was the tallest railway trestle in the world when it opened in 1901 during the British colonial era.

The bridge, situated on the border of the Nawnghkio and Kyaukme townships in northern Shan State, is part of the Mandalay-Lashio railway line and has been a crucial transport link as well as a tourist attraction.

Videos and photos on social media showed the bridge partly collapsed and damaged.

The loss of the Gokteik Bridge marks the destruction of a century-old landmark and threatens vital transport and supply routes in Myanmar’s embattled north.

A civil war has been going on in Myanmar since the military deposed the civilian government in a coup in 2021, sparking nationwide resistance by pro-democracy militias and ethnic armed organisations. The collapse of the iconic bridge is proof of how Myanmar’s civil war is also damaging its historical and cultural heritage.

The junta and armed rebels blame each other

Representatives from the military junta and armed rebel groups blamed each other for the destruction of the landmark Gokteik Bridge on Sunday.

The junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun claimed in a video statement that rebel factions, including the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and people’s defence forces groups had “bombed and destroyed” the bridge on Sunday, while another statement by the junta said the bridge had been “exploded with mines”.

A TNLA spokesperson rejected the charge and accused the junta of bombing the bridge. “[The] Myanmar army tried to bomb our bases ... this morning by using drones. They bombed our troops, but their bomb also hit Gokteik bridge,” said TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo.

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Clashes have been going on between junta forces and TNLA fighters in the nearby towns of Nawnghkio and Kyaukme in the last few weeks, even though the junta claimed to have recaptured Nawnghkio in July.

Myanmar’s junta is preparing for a December election that is being boycotted by opposition groups and criticised by international monitors.