Pont d'Aquitaine, Suspension bridge in Bordeaux, France
Pont d'Aquitaine is a suspension bridge on the Bordeaux ring road, linking Bordeaux and Lormont across the Garonne. Its deck lies 53 metres above the river, and its two concrete pylons rise 103 metres, each formed of two hollow uprights joined by crossbeams. The deck is a red steel truss carrying six traffic lanes and two cycle paths; pedestrians are not admitted.
Studies for a new Garonne crossing date back to 1891; a transporter bridge begun in 1910 was abandoned after 1914 with only its pylons built. In 1954, with mayor Jacques Chaban-Delmas as Minister of Public Works, the suspension bridge was approved; Robert Buron laid the first stone on 20 May 1960. Work started in 1961, the last rivet was placed on 3 November 1966, and the bridge was inaugurated on 6 May 1967.
The bridge carries thousands of commuters daily between Lormont and the western bank of the river, linking residential areas with business districts. Its name recalls Aquitaine, the historical region whose capital Bordeaux has been for centuries.
The bridge forms part of the ring motorway A630 and remains open to traffic day and night, with separate bicycle lanes on both sides of the roadway. The best view of the structure comes from the riverbank, especially from Parc aux Angéliques below the western approach.
The deck sits 53 metres above the Garonne, while the two hollow pylons rise to 103 metres, each formed of two uprights joined by crossbeams at deck level and at the top. The original suspension was not galvanised: inspectors counted 14 broken wires in 1979, 68 in 1984 and 178 in 1993, leading to its full replacement between 2000 and 2005.
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