Type: Monument - Bridge
Province: Punjab
District: Attock
Period: Historic
Relative Chronology: 1857 - 1947 CE
Description: This Bridge was constructed in 1883 during the British Period to bridge Indus to connect Attock Khurd in Punjab with Khairabad to further connect Punjab with NWFP now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan by rail. This Bridge was originally designed by Sir Guildford Moles worth (1828-1925). It forms one of the most important strategic and commercial crossings on the Indus. The structure was re-designed and constructed by Sir Francis O Callaghan and Mr. Johnson. The place where Bridge is built used to be 183 m wide during winter months. In the center of the river there is a huge shallow rock, considered to form the foundation of center pier. All other foundations were above water and presented no serious difficulty. The bridge consisted of 5 spans, three of them are 78.4 m long and two are 95 m long. The girders were of double intersection type carrying the railway on a floor system attached to the top booms and the Grant Trunk Road on a floor supported by the lower booms. This railway bridge was built on river Indus for military and strategic reasons, that is why one can see fortified entrances with turrets on almost all the tunnels and bridges west of Indus and Attock Railway Bridge is classic example. It has fortified entrance to guard these installations as strategic assets.
Latitude: 33.872928584
Longitude: 72.237856591
Ownership: Private
Legal Status: Not Protected
Title of Publication: Survey and Documentation of Archaeological Sites and Monuments in District Attock
Published In: Unpublished Survey by Department of Archaeology and Museums
Year of Publication: 2002
Bibliography/Reference: Khan, Muhammad Ashraf et.al
