Pont Albert Ier, Major bridge in central Liège, Belgium.
The Pont Albert Ier spans the Meuse in Liège, linking Outremeuse with the Centre. It is 170 metres long and consists of three separate steel spans clad in stone, with a light grey concrete deck above a darker band of masonry. A pedestrian and cyclist passage at water level on the right bank connects to the RAVeL W7 route.
A first bridge, the Pont de Commerce, was completed in 1866 and charged a three-centime toll, which the city bought out in 1903. A new bridge opened for the 1905 World's Fair, but the Belgian army sabotaged it in May 1940 to slow the German advance. A temporary footbridge served until 1957, when the current bridge by Georges Dedoyard was finished.
The bridge displays public art installations including a monument to citizens who died for freedom and an equestrian statue of King Albert I. These works serve as reminders of important moments in the city's history and are encountered by locals and visitors crossing the span.
The pedestrian and cyclist path beneath the bridge is easily accessible and provides a direct route along the riverbank. Connecting to the RAVeL network allows visitors to extend trips through the surrounding area without needing to use the main roadway.
The heliport near the bridge, upstream on the left bank, was used by SABENA between 1953 and 1963 for passenger and mail flights to Brussels with a Sikorsky helicopter, and it also served as a landing site for personalities visiting the city. The landing pad is still visible, though it is no longer secured or authorised for operations, and its buildings have housed restaurants and brasseries.
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