Chavanon Viaduct, Suspension bridge in Merlines, France
The Chavanon Viaduct is a 360-metre suspension bridge on the A89 motorway, crossing the Chavanon valley between Merlines in Corrèze and Messeix in Puy-de-Dôme. Its deck, with a 300-metre main span, hangs about 100 metres above the river from a single central double cable of 122 strands, so no support stands on the pylons. The two pale pylons rise as angled legs joined near the top.
Construction began in September 1997 and the viaduct was inaugurated on 3 March 2000. The civil engineering was carried out by a GTM consortium and the steel structure by Cimolai SpA. It was the only suspension bridge built in France between 1970 and 2000, and its 300-metre main span made it France's third-longest suspension bridge after Tancarville and Aquitaine.
The bridge marks the physical boundary between the regions of Limousin and Auvergne, representing a connection point between distinct French territories.
The viaduct carries the A89 motorway (the Transeuropéenne) over the Chavanon valley between Merlines in Corrèze and Messeix in Puy-de-Dôme, about 2 km west of the Barricade and Bergères viaducts. It is closed to pedestrians and cyclists, so it is seen from the road or from viewpoints in the valley below.
The deck hangs from a single central double cable of 122 strands, with no support resting on the pylons — a world first according to the French Wikipedia article. This axial suspension leaves drivers an unobstructed view of the Chavanon valley.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,195 contributors worldwide.
