Boieldieu Bridge, Contemporary bridge in Rouen, France.
The Boieldieu Bridge is a modern steel structure that spans the Seine and connects northern Rouen with the southern bank. It features pedestrian walkways alongside vehicle lanes, allowing both foot traffic and cars to cross safely on separate paths.
The bridge was completed in 1955 and replaced an older structure from the 1800s. This construction project was part of Rouen's post-war rebuilding efforts following World War II.
The bridge honours François-Adrien Boieldieu, the Rouen-born composer of La Dame blanche, not Adolphe Adam. Since 1957 its piers carry sculptures: Jean-Marie Baumel's Normans in a longship and Cavelier de La Salle sailing to America on the right bank, Georges Saupique's allegories of the Seine and the sea on the left.
The deck carries two narrow one-way lanes north to south, a 3 m two-way cycle path and sidewalks of 4 m and 6.5 m. Planters separate bikes from cars. The wide walkway hosts temporary art exhibitions, and ten busts of explorers line the cycle path.
The 1888 Boieldieu bridge, demolished in 1940, was painted by Camille Pissarro in 1896; his Pont Boieldieu à Rouen, soleil couchant, temps brumeux hangs in the Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen, while two other versions are in Ontario and New York.
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