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==History=====1830's===In 1830’s the Madras Government were concerned with the opening of communication south of Fort George and across the Adyar River towards the South and the Alabar Coast <ref>British Library IOR/F/4/2089 "Letter dated 30th November (35) 1842 Board collections 97150"</ref>. The Pophams Police report had suggested that the river was a barrier and an aid to security in 1785. “The river depth was protection from horse for the first mile” <ref> British Library Indian Records series, "Vestiges of Old Madras 1640 – 1800 Vol III P 311 n7" as reported on 23rd Nov 1842 </ref>. The '''Elphinstone Bridge''' for bridging the Adyar River was constructed under the watchful eyes of John Elphinstone when he was the reigning Governor of Madras from the year 1837 to 1842 and was named after him. It seems to have been completed in about 1840 <ref name=OldBridges>[http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/bridges-of-madras-the-concrete-connect/article4623232.ece?utm_source=InternalRef&utm_medium=relatedNews&utm_campaign= The Hindu Article "The Old Bridges of Chennai Archival information para.5; April 16, 2013]; Retrieved 15 Aug 2016</ref>. The area to the south of the river had been used as hunting grounds by British officials of Fort St. George from the 1680s onwards though Adyar is first mentioned as a suburb of Madras only in a map from the year 1740 when the British purchased the village and integrated it with the [[Madras Presidency]] <ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Rebirth-of-the-Adyar-creek/articleshow/5841879.cms Times of India "Rebirth of Adyar creek" by Julie Mariappan & Devparna Acharya; 22 April 2010]; Retrieved 15 Aug 26 Oct 2016</ref>.
The Superintendent ==History=====1830's===1838 November, the Court of Directors of the [[East India Company]] in London made a reply to 12 letters and reports on the state of Government the Roads in Madras. The major part was asked for a new crossing of Adyar River. <ref> IOR/E/4/951 letter to Fort St George 14th November 1838. page 761 British Library </ref>. An earthen causeway had been put in place to try ease the traffic of people and goods across the river. There had been a trial stone tramway as previous attempt before to build a means bridge at this point but it had been washed away shortly after it was built. The causeway was also subject to the rivers conditions. <ref> History of stabilising the road across the swampy and sandy countryside south city of Madras by C. S. SrinivasachariI published by P. Varadachary & Co. Madras, 1939 P xii </ref>. The lowest crossing was the Marmalong bridgenear Saidapet which had been rebuilt in 1726. <ref> IOR/E/4/951 letter to Fort St George 14th November 1838. Stone Tramways were quite common at this time page 765 British Library</ref> As proof of a need a census of users of the causeway was made in Europe March and America April 1838 and sent to London <ref>[https:IOR/E/4/books954 letter dated 13th March 1838.googlePage 50 British Library</ref>.co.uk/books?id=V The designs and quotations had been received: -Q5AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA221#v=onepage&q&f=false a wooden bridge at a cost of Rs77,881; Google Books “The Journal a brick bridge at a cost of Rs32,076; an iron suspension bridge at a cost of R 82,528. The Chief Engineer had commented that the Franklin Institute”brick bridge would be nearer Rs70,000 but gave no details. Third series No V 1843 Report on street paving” p<ref> IOR/E/4/951 letter to Fort St George 14th November 1838.221]; Retrieved 15 Aug 2016pages 762-3 British Library</ref>.
===1840's [[Adyar River Tramway]]===By 1842 a letter to the The Court of Directors of sanctioned the [[East India Company]] requested payment building of R1817an arched bridge on 3 conditions:- i.15 for The foundations are firm and that the construction arches are a sufficient height and span to prevent floods; ii. The bridge is made of the tramway brick or stone; iii. The cost does not exceed Rs70,000 <ref>British Library IOR/Z/E/4/A/198 “Letter dated 23rd 951 letter to Fort St George 14th November 1842”1838. pages 765-6 British Library </ref>.
In the reply the Directors requested a report So that construction could go ahead land on either side had to be purchased from the Military Board on the feasibility of the experiment Nabob for R1,750 <ref>British Library IOR/FE/4/2089 “Military Report 135 1843 Board collections 97150” 956 Note of a letter from Madras with no comment. page 672 British Library</ref>. In the engineer’s report Lieutenant Robertson says the engineer escorted the Superintendent of Roads , and Rs4,500 to review the tramwayMr Chitty and Mr Hogg for waste ground. A length connecting road between South Beach and the bridge at a cost of stone tramway 684ft (0.12Km) had been built “substantially Rs4,000 with judgement. The track had been down 2 monsoons so was a fair trial. It was useful with bridge across the public facilitating the haulage across what was in some parts backwater at a heavy bed of sand". The cost quoted differed at R1539 for the length of stone track. This meant a calculated R11Rs4,88.00 per mile (1.06Km). There 572 was evidence that the sets had moved and over a longer route would be costly to maintainalso sanctioned. A suggestion that causeways would be cheaper and more easily maintained <ref>British Library IOR/FE/4/2089 “Military Report 135 1843 Board collections 97150”</ref>954 letter dated 13th March 1838. These facts unfortunately put an end to the experiment and the Directors declined to continue <ref>page 50 British Library IOR/E/4/963/P905 “Letter from the Revenue Department dated 9th September 1863” </ref>. See '''[[Adyar River Tramway]]''' for more information
[[Category:Madras Engineers]]
Info relating to Tramway and Adyar River Tramway incorrect and therefore deleted, including 'Railway' categories - ref BL research by Steve Moore
The '''Elphinstone Bridge, Madras''' was constructed by the [[Madras Engineers]] and completed c.1840. It was a stone multi-arched bridge and named after Lord Elphinstone, who was Governor of [[Madras]] from 1837 to 1842. It seems to have been completed in about 1840 <ref name=OldBridges>[http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/bridges-of-madras-the-concrete-connect/article4623232.ece?utm_source=InternalRef&utm_medium=relatedNews&utm_campaign= The Hindu Article "The Old Bridges of Chennai Archival information para.5; April 16, 2013]; Retrieved 26 Oct 2016</ref>.
Before its construction, there were no bridges across the Adyar river except the causeway then known as Marmalong Bridge. Parisals, which were round floats pushed by long poles, were the chief mode of transportation across the river, and there were several makeshift landing places on the banks of the river for carrying goods <ref name=hindu>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/173yearold-elphinstone-bridge-gets-a-makeover/article4302496.ece The Hindu, Chennai "173-year-old Elphinstone Bridge gets a makeover" by Ramakrishnan, Deepa H. ; 13 January 2013]; Retrieved 15 Aug 2016</ref>. The area is subject to severe storms and cyclones and in 1846 a cyclone was registered above 40lb per square foot (90mph/145kph) when the anemometer broke. The wind and storm surge damaged the bridge when one of the massive stone pillars was blown over <ref name=Gazett>[http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V16_374.gif&volume=16 “Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 16”, p. 368]; Retrieved 15 Aug 2016</ref>. The bridge is nearly 1,570 ft (480 mtrs) long and the river is tidal for up to 2.5 miles (4Km) <ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/wrd-plans-groynes/article2683597.ece The Hindu, Chennai "WRD plans groynes" by Lakshmi, K. ; 3 Dec 2011]; Retrieved 15 Aug 2016</ref> from its mouth.
[[Madras]] was built on a plain surrounded by lakes called tanks, These discharge into the rivers and as streams through the sandy and swamp ground that surround the city especially to the south.
===1850's onwards===
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[[Category:Civil Works]]
