Pont de l'Alma, Road bridge over Seine river in Paris, France
The Pont de l'Alma is a girder road bridge over the Seine, 153 metres long and 42 metres wide, joining the 7th arrondissement on the left bank to the 8th and 16th on the right. Its deck is paved in grey asphalt between low pale stone parapets with simple vertical balustrades, and it stands on a single pier. The rebuilt span replaced the 1856 arch bridge between 1970 and 1974.
Napoleon III inaugurated the original structure in 1856 to commemorate the Battle of Alma during the Crimean War of 1854. Between 1970 and 1974, the old stone arch design was completely replaced by a modern steel girder bridge.
The remaining Zouave statue on the bridge functions as a reference point for Parisians to measure the Seine water levels during floods. When the river reaches the statue's feet, authorities close the riverside walkways and implement additional safety measures for boat traffic.
The bridge links quai Branly on the left bank with avenue de New-York on the right bank. Alma-Marceau metro station (line 9) stands at the north end, the RER C station Pont de l'Alma at the south end. The Eiffel Tower lies upstream, visible from the deck; the Flame of Liberty and Place Diana are at the north end.
Four allegorical soldier statues once adorned the original bridge, but only the Zouave remained after reconstruction. The other three figures were relocated to other sites in France, including La Fère and Dijon, where they stand today.
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