[Home]

[Blog]

[Tell A Friend]

[Sitemap]

[Contact]

Lansdowne Bridge

A Marvel of ninetieth century

engineering

, the longest rigid girder bridge in the world at that time, was begun in 1887.The

Indus Valley

State Railway had reached Sukkur in 1879 and the steam ferry which transported eight wagons at a time across the Indus was found to be cumbersome and time consuming. Designed by

Sir Alexander Rendel

, the girder work weighing a massive 3,300 tons was erected by F.E. Robertson, and Hecquet. The ferry link between

Rohri and Sukkur

became redundant when Lord Reay

Governor of Bombay

. Deputizing for

Lord Lansdowne

, the viceroy, inaugurated the

Bridge

on 25 March 1889. As summer comes early to Sukkur and the wearing of heavy

European

Style Uniforms

would have been uncomfortable , the opening ceremony took place early in the morning . After

Lord Reay

had unlocked a highly ornamental padlock (the design of J.L. Kipping, CIE, Principal of the Mayo School of Art in Lohore and father of Joseph Rudyard, the famous poet and author). Which had held shut the cumber - some

iron gates

guarding entry to the Bridge , the gathering walked across the Bridge and then adjourned to break fast followed by toasts under a shaman Berridge 1967:128 with its construction, Railway link between Lahore in the heart of the granary of

British

India and the Port of Karachi on the Arabian Seacoast was completed. When the great steel

Ayub

arch, was constructed (1960-1962) ,

Railway traffic

was shifted to this Bridge . About a hundred feet apart, the two bridges seem like one from a distance. The Ayub arch became the

world's third longest Railway

arch span and the first bridge in the world to have 'the Railway desk slung on coiled wire rope suspenders'. Dr.D.D. Steinman of

New York

, proponent of vocational aesthetics designed this graceful Bridge. Which cost about two crore rupees. The foundation stone was laid on December 9, 1960.

Attribute to Pakistani

American and British engineers

, it was opened by President Muhammad

Ayub Khan

on May 6, 1962.

Lansdowne Bridge - Rohri Bridge - Most Beautiful Bridge of Pakistan