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'Frederick Edward Robertson' and other links added with extra text
Between 1872 and 1882 bridge surveys were conducted and different people suggested 5 different bridge proposals (see 'Chronology' below). None of them was considered completely feasible at that time.
[[Alexander Meadows Rendel]], Consultant Engineer was then called in and he proposed a design consisting of two anchored cantilevers, each 310 feet (94M) long, carrying a suspended span of 200 ft 200ft561M) in the middle. This design was considered feasible and lconstruction construction started c.1884; the bridge later came to be known as the 'Lansdowne Bridge'. <refname=wiki>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansdowne_Bridge_Rohri Wikipedia "Lansdowne Bridge, Rohri"]; Retrieved on 23 Apr 2016</ref>
<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20130122080631/http://pakistaniat.com/2007/12/18/lansdowne-bridge-sukkur/ "All Things Pakistan - Lansdowne Bridge,Sukkur ]; Retrieved on 23 Apr 2016</ref>
==Chronology==
*1872-74: First site survey is made of Rohri-Sukkur area by J.Ramsey [[James Ramsay]] of the [[Public Works Department]] to bridge the River Indus here. He proposed a 650 feet (200M) long suspension bridge.*1875: The survey was continued by Major General Sir James Browne who recommended a stiffened suspension bridge with cables formed of steel links and a span of 786 feet786ft(238M).*1879:** Railways reached [[Sukkur]] from [[Karachi]] and Sir Guilford Molesworth suggested a three-hinged arched bridge. J.R. [[James Richard Bell ]] suggested a parallel truss cantilever bridge with a main span of 680 ft680ft(206M). These schemes were considered unsatisfactory and shelved.*1882: A scheme of a bridge with 250 ft 250ft(76M) spans supported on masonry piers was proposed. This design was almost chosen when a severe flood in the river took its bed depth down to 100 ft and this design was shelved. Finally the [[Alexander Meadows Rendel]] design was adopted.
*1885: The Indus channel between Sukkur and Bukkur island got bridged.
*1887: The steel work for the Lansdowne Bridge started to reach Sukkur from the Westwood, Baillie & Co. of London. The bridge construction was then started under the supervision of [[Frederick Edward Robertson|F.E. Robertson]] and his assistant Hecquet. Their names are written to date on a plaque on each cantilever of the bridge <ref name=wiki/>.
*1887 May: Bed plates for the Bukkur side of the Lansdowne bridge Cantilever arrived by the end of month.
*1887 September: Full supply of steel works for the Rohri side cantilever arrived at the site.
*1889 March 19: Lansdowne bridge was tested by running coupled L class locomotives and a train giving a gross load of 786 tons or about 1 ton per foot.
*1889 March 25: Inauguration of Lansdowne Bridge.