Winston Churchill Bridge

The Winston Churchill Bridge crosses the Rhone River in Lyon and stretches 260 meters with a central span of 110 meters carrying seven traffic lanes. It includes two sidewalks that are three meters wide each and links the left and right banks of the river.

Earlier crossing points at this location included a temporary boat bridge built in 1862 and a metal toll bridge constructed in 1873. The current structure replaced these predecessors as part of Lyon's evolving river infrastructure.

The bridge took the name of Winston Churchill in 1966, reflecting French respect for British wartime leadership.

The bridge features safe sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists on both sides with adequate crossing space. It is easily accessible on foot and connects key neighborhoods on both sides of the river.

The construction used two large caissons to achieve the central span as a single unbroken section without intermediate supports. This engineering method was remarkable for its time and demonstrates the technical skill required in its building.

Location: Lyon

Inception: December 20, 1982

Length: 260 m

Longest Span: 110 m

GPS coordinates: 45.77860,4.84265

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:03