Pont Régemortes, Stone arch bridge in Moulins, France
The Pont Régemortes is a stone arch bridge in Moulins with 13 arches that crosses the Allier River and spans about 300 meters. It connects the eastern and western parts of the city and is still used daily by pedestrians and vehicles.
An engineer named Louis de Régemortes built the bridge between 1753 and 1763 to replace earlier structures destroyed by river flooding. The work demonstrated new techniques for crossing rivers that were later adopted in other French projects.
The bridge is named after Louis de Régemortes, the engineer of the turcies et levées de la Loire who designed and built it. From the western entrance, the view lines up four spires: the twin towers of Moulins Cathedral and those of the Sacré-Cœur church, which perspective makes appear equal in height.
The deck is 13.60 m wide, divided into three lanes with a 2.30 m pavement on each side. From the western, left-bank approach, the four spires of Moulins cathedral and the Sacré-Cœur church line up in perspective. The foundation slab is visible when the Allier runs low.
During World War II, one arch was deliberately destroyed to slow German military advancement. A temporary walkway was then installed to maintain the connection across the river.
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