Pont Confluences, Tram bridge in Angers, France

Pont Confluences is a steel tram bridge that crosses the Maine River in Angers, with a total length of 293 meters. It links the university hospital district on one bank to the Saint-Serge neighborhood on the other, and is also open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Construction of the bridge began in 2008 and it was inaugurated on the evening of 15 October 2010, serving the first line of Angers' new tram network. The city had already run trams from 1896, but the last old tram crossed Angers on 30 April 1949 before the tracks were removed. Feasibility studies for a new line were launched in 2000 and approved in 2003.

The name was chosen by a jury of elected officials, residents and association representatives from about 3,000 suggestions sent by 1,523 Angers residents. Mayor Jean-Claude Antonini said it symbolised the link between the two banks and the double confluence of land and water on which the city is anchored, echoing the Sarthe, Mayenne and Loir joining to form the Maine north of Angers.

The bridge can be reached on foot or by bike from both riverbanks, and ramps make it passable for pushchairs and wheelchairs as well. The tram stops are right at each end of the crossing, so getting on and off is straightforward.

The main span is 161 metres, not 149, and the arch crosses the deck without being connected to it. The deck hangs from the arch on radiating suspender cables, so the arch and roadway never touch. Look for the small flag on the right-hand railing.