Matilda Bridge, Concrete bridge in Rouen, France.
The Matilda Bridge is a road bridge over the Seine in Rouen, built between 1974 and 1979. It has five parts: a central prestressed concrete viaduct on Île Lacroix, made of two variable-depth box girders cast in place; two steel spans over the Seine arms, installed by barge using the tide; and two reinforced or prestressed concrete access structures, one on each bank. On the left bank, the Pont de l'Europe crosses the Roue-Saint-Sever railway tracks and connects to the access structure.
The bridge was designed by architects Philippe Fraleu and Pierre Loyer as part of Rouen's modern infrastructure development. A truck fire damaged it severely in 2012, requiring major reconstruction work that lasted until 2014.
This bridge links various neighborhoods of Rouen and serves as a daily crossing point for residents moving across the city. It has become part of how locals navigate between different areas on either side of the river.
The bridge provides multiple access points that help distribute traffic on both sides of the river and make crossing easier. Pedestrians and vehicles use this crossing throughout the day during different times of the year.
The 115-metre, 1,000-tonne steel span replaced after the 2012 fire was lifted by hydraulic jacks mounted on a barge and lowered into place at 50 cm per hour as the tide fell, with only 10 cm of clearance on each side.
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