Pont Saint-Jean de Bordeaux, Road bridge in Bordeaux, France
Pont Saint-Jean de Bordeaux is a road bridge spanning 474 meters across the Garonne River, supported by five sets of concrete piers arranged beneath eight arches. The structure carries six traffic lanes plus separate dedicated paths for pedestrians and cyclists, all designed with pre-stressed concrete construction.
Construction began in April 1963 and the bridge opened in 1965 when Interior Minister Roger Frey and Mayor Jacques Chaban-Delmas inaugurated it. It was built during a period when Bordeaux was modernizing the right bank areas and needed improved transport links across the river.
The bridge connects Saint-Jean railway station with the Bastide neighborhood, serving as a daily crossing point for many people moving between different parts of the city. It bridges more than just water, linking the older core with newer districts that developed afterward.
You can cross on foot, by bike, or by car, with clear separation between pedestrian paths and traffic lanes making navigation straightforward. The best time to cross is outside rush hours when traffic is lighter and you can take in views more easily.
As you cross, you can spot two older railway bridges running parallel across the Garonne on either side - the Passerelle Eiffel and Pont Garonne. These earlier structures reveal how engineering techniques evolved between their construction and the building of this modern road bridge.
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