Pont Brunon-Valette, Railway bridge in Rive-de-Gier, France.
The Brunon-Valette Bridge is a railway crossing over the Gier River in Rive-de-Gier that links two parts of an industrial site. The structure uses reinforced concrete and allows wagons to move between factory sections.
This bridge was built in 1947 by Établissements Haour Frères to replace an earlier crossing upstream. The reconstruction served the transportation needs of the Brunon-Valette factory that operated nearby.
Historical postcards and archive documents of Rive-de-Gier showcase this bridge as a central element of the region's industrial heritage.
Access to this structure comes from an adjacent factory site where freight wagons once operated. Visitors should expect restrictions from private industrial property when trying to view the bridge.
The bridge features a curved span that earned it the nickname Bowstring among locals and engineers. This particular shape was uncommon in factory railway crossings of that period.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.