Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge ( th, สะพานมัฆวานรังสรรค์, , ; usually shortened to "Makkhawan Bridge") is an historic bridge of inner

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

. The bridge spans

Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem ( th, คลองผดุงกรุงเกษม, ) is a canal (''khlong'') in Bangkok. It was dug in 1851 in order to serve as a new outer moat for the expanding city, extending its boundaries from the Rattanakosin ...

(Phadung Krung Kasem canal) on

Ratchadamnoen avenue Ratchadamnoen Avenue ( th, ถนนราชดำเนิน, , , also spelled Rajdamnern) is a historic road in the Phra Nakhon and Dusit Districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Ratchadamnoen Avenue may be the most politically charged thoroughfare ...

(section outer Ratchadamnoen) on the border of Bang Khun Phrom sub-district, Phra Nakhon district and Wat Sommanat sub-district,

Pom Prap Sattru Phai Pom Prap Sattru Phai ( th, ป้อมปราบศัตรูพ่าย, , or popularly just called Pom Prap, ) is one of the 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Dusit, Pathum Wan, ...

district with Dusit sub-district, Dusit district. It is near to the offices of the United Nations in Thailand,

Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium Rajadamnern Stadium ( th, สนามมวยราชดำเนิน; ), also spelled ''Ratchadamnoen'', is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern mu ...

, Wat Sommanas Rajavaravihara, Wat Makutkasattriyaram and

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...

. It also serves as a

four-way intersection An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections are ...

of Ratchadamnoen, Krung Kasem and Luk Luang roads. The bridge is one of five built across Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). It was designed by

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

architect

Carlo Allegri Carlo Allegri (1862–1938) was an Italian engineer who worked extensively in Siam (Thailand) during the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. He served under the government of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) for over 20 years, where he held the position ...

using the patterns of

and

Spanish architecture Spanish architecture refers to architecture in any area of what is now Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings which were constructed within the current borders of Spain prior to its existence as a nation, when t ...

. The prototype was from

Pont Alexandre III The Pont Alexandre III is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in the cit ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

. Construction took a total of three years. The bridge has a beautiful Erawan (

Airavata Shachi.html" ;"title="Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi">Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi riding the five-headed Divine Elephant Airavata, Folio from a Jain text, Panch Kalyanaka (Five Auspicious Events in the Life of Jina Rishabhanatha), c. 1670� ...

) steel frame and four marble lampposts and is considered is one of the most beautiful bridges in Bangkok. It was inaugurated on Sunday, November 1st 1903 by His Majesty King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). All five extant bridges built to cross the Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem were constructed during the same period. They each have rhyming names, that mean "bridge built by the deities". The term "Makkhawan Rangsan" translates as ''"the bridge that Makkhawan ( Indra) was the creator"''. King Chulalongkorn originally intended to name it "Makkhawan Rangrak" (มัฆวานรังรักษ์). In 1994, two more bridges were added to increase the traffic lanes under a royal project of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; ( Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Grea ...

(Rama IX). During the political unrest between 2010 and 2014 the bridge was used as a venue for several political demonstrations as were other landmarks on Ratchadamnoen avenue, such as

Democracy Monument The Democracy Monument ( th, อนุสาวรีย์ประชาธิปไตย, ''Anusawari Prachathipatai'') is a public monument in the city center of Bangkok, capital of Thailand. It occupies a traffic circle on the wide east– ...

Phan Fa Lilat Bridge Phan Fa Lilat Bridge ( th, สะพานผ่านฟ้าลีลาศ, , ; lit: 'bridge on which the ruler of heaven proceeds', refers to "King's Cross Bridge"; usually shortened to "Phan Fa Bridge") is a historic bridge across Khlong Bang ...

and

Khok Wua Intersection Khok Wua ( th, คอกวัว, ) is an intersection in Bangkok. It is a four-way crossroads of Ratchadamnoen (section middle Ratchadamnoen) and Tanao roads in area of Bowon Niwet and Talat Yot sub-districts, Phra Nakhon district within Ratta ...

References

{{commonscat, Saphan Makkhawan Rangsan, Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge Phra Nakhon district category:Road junctions in Bangkok category:Bridges in Bangkok Dusit district Pom Prap Sattru Phai district category:Bridges completed in 1903 category:Registered ancient monuments in Bangkok

See also

References