Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas, Vertical-lift bridge in Bordeaux, France
The Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas is a vertical-lift bridge over the Garonne in Bordeaux, 575 m long overall with a 117 m movable span between four steel pylons 77 m tall. Raised, the deck gives 55 m of clearance above the river bed; lowered, 13 m. Pedestrian and cycle paths run outside the pylons.
The architect Charles Lavigne designed this crossing, which opened in March 2013. It became the fifth road bridge over the river in the city.
The bridge is named after Jacques Chaban-Delmas, a former mayor of Bordeaux and Prime Minister of France; the city council chose the name on 22 October 2012. During construction it was known as the Bacalan-Bastide bridge, or "pont Baba". Its lighting, designed by Yann Kersalé, uses thousands of LEDs on the pylons that change colour with the tide: ultramarine blue at high tide, Veronese green at low tide, twinkling on holidays.
The bridge carries a dedicated tram lane, cycle tracks and footpaths outside the four pylons, separated from motor traffic. It lifts about sixty times a year, closing road traffic for roughly an hour each time, so check before crossing on foot or by bike. The deck sits 13 m above the Garonne when lowered and 55 m when raised.
The metal central section weighs 2,600 tons (2,360 metric tons) and is lifted by counterweights of 600 tons (545 metric tons) each. The entire system uses pulleys running through the four towers.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,629 contributors worldwide.
