Briare aqueduct, Navigable aqueduct in Briare, France
The Briare Aqueduct is a navigable water channel that crosses the Loire River and allows boats to travel through a steel structure spanning roughly 662 meters. The construction rests on substantial stone pillars that support the weight of both the water and passing vessels.
The aqueduct was completed in 1896 as a pioneering work of its kind in navigable water engineering. It held the record as the world's longest navigable aqueduct for many decades before being surpassed in the early 2000s.
The aqueduct features fourteen masonry piers and decorative columns at each end that mirror the architectural elements of the Pont Alexandre III in Paris.
The crossing is easily accessible and you can watch from the riverside paths as boats pass through the structure below. The best time to visit is during warmer months when river traffic is most active.
The structure includes a lock system that allows water to be drained during cold seasons to protect the steel framework from frost damage. This engineering solution reveals how 19th-century builders thought about long-term preservation.
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