Guillemard Bridge

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Sungai Kelantan Railway Bridge

Jambatan Guillemard
جمبتن ڬويلليمارد
Coordinates5°45′43″N 102°08′59″E / 5.761857°N 102.149608°E / 5.761857; 102.149608
CarriesRailway
Pedestrian
CrossesKelantan River
LocaleGua Musang-Tumpat railway line
Official nameGuillemard Bridge
Maintained byKeretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB)
Characteristics
DesignDouble-intersection Warren truss bridge
Total length609.6m[1]
History
Opened1925; 99 years ago (1925)
Location
Map

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[edit]

The bridge was named after the British Governor for the Straits Settlements, Sir Laurence Guillemard.

History[edit]

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.

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