Pont de Suresnes, Road bridge in 16th arrondissement, France
The Pont de Suresnes is a road bridge over the Seine linking the Bois de Boulogne in Paris with Suresnes in Hauts-de-Seine. The current reinforced-concrete structure, built in stages between 1939 and 1950, has three arches and a flat deck with a solid parapet and patterned balustrade. Tall green masts stand at even intervals along the deck.
A ferry, first recorded in 1590, was the only crossing at Suresnes until a toll suspension bridge opened on 24 April 1842. That bridge was destroyed in September 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War; a pontoon bridge followed, then a metal bridge inaugurated on 24 November 1874. The current reinforced-concrete bridge was built in stages between 1939 and 1950.
The bridge's name comes from the town of Suresnes on the left bank; the rue du Bac, perpendicular to the Seine, is the last trace of the ferry that crossed here until the last ferryman stopped in 1837. The ferry carried Suresnes fruit and vegetables to Paris and pilgrims heading to the calvary on Mont Valérien.
The bridge accommodates pedestrians and vehicles, with walkways on both sides for foot traffic. Access is straightforward and the structure is freely accessible to anyone crossing the river.
Local legend holds that Suresnois piled furniture from neighbouring cafés onto the suspension bridge before setting it alight in September 1870, fearing the Prussian advance. French military archives, however, record that disabling the bridge was planned anyway to slow the enemy. The Prussian king William crossed the Seine here on 8 February 1871 by a pontoon bridge built by German engineers.
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