Pont de Moulin sur Cance, 19th century suspension bridge in Vernosc-lès-Annonay, France.
The Pont de Moulin sur Cance is a suspension bridge that crosses the Cance River using metal cables to support an oak plank walkway. The structure spans roughly 18 meters and connects the two municipalities of Quintenas and Vernosc-lès-Annonay for foot traffic.
Built between 1863 and 1865, the bridge served the Quintenas mill on the right bank; owner Léorat proposed it and funded the work, with the two communes agreeing compensation on 19 December 1865. It follows Marc Seguin's suspension ideas, but the 79-year-old inventor is unlikely to have designed it; one of his brothers or a member of the related Mignot family is more probable. Classified as a monument historique on 6 April 1981, it was neglected after the weaving factory closed in 1965 and rebuilt identically in 2012-2013.
Locals call it pont de moulin sur Cance after the Quintenas mill on the right bank, whose owner Léorat funded the crossing so carts could reach it. The mayors of Quintenas and Vernosc-lès-Annonay set his compensation on 19 December 1865, and both communes still co-own the bridge.
The bridge is open to pedestrians only and has been thoroughly renovated to ensure safe crossing conditions. Visitors should approach with care since the wooden surface can be slippery after rain or in damp conditions.
The 2012–2013 rebuild used a 4 km soft-iron wire wound back and forth into 100 parallel strands for each of the four load-bearing cables, then galvanised for durability. The masonry piers were kept and their joints repointed with traditional mortar. A protective mesh was added to the wooden guardrails for children's safety.
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