Garabit Viaduct, Railway viaduct in Ruynes-en-Margeride, France
The Garabit Viaduct spans 565 meters across the Truyère River, reaching a height of 122 meters with its metal arch structure and masonry supports.
Gustave Eiffel designed and constructed this railway bridge between 1882 and 1884, applying engineering knowledge he gained from building the Maria Pia Bridge in Portugal.
The bridge represents a milestone in French railway engineering, demonstrating the capabilities of metal construction techniques in the 19th century.
The structure carries trains on the Béziers-Neussargues railway line, with speed restrictions implemented following repairs after a 2009 inspection revealed foundation cracks.
The construction of the Grandval dam in 1959 created a reservoir that raised the water level beneath the bridge by 95 meters.
Location: Ruynes-en-Margeride
Location: Val-d'Arcomie
Inception: 1884
Architects: Léon Boyer
Height: 122 m
Length: 564.69 m
Longest Span: 165 m
Made from material: puddled iron
Part of: railroad line from Béziers to Neussargues
GPS coordinates: 44.97540,3.17722
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:36
Gustave Eiffel and his firm designed and constructed metal bridges across several continents between the 1860s and early 1900s. These structures enabled railway and road connections over rivers, gorges, and valleys. The bridges used wrought iron and later steel, with truss and arch designs that represented advanced engineering methods for their time. Examples of this work are found in Portugal, where the Maria Pia Bridge crosses the Douro River, and in France, including the Garabit Viaduct over the Truyère. In Vietnam, the Long Bien Bridge connects Hanoi across the Red River. Additional structures stand in Peru, Bolivia, and other South American countries. Many of these bridges remain operational or accessible as preserved engineering monuments.
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