Pont Napoléon-III, Stone bridge in Nice, France

Pont Napoléon-III is a flat-decked masonry bridge carrying the RM 6007 road across the Var between Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var. Its straight deck rests on several vertical piers set in the riverbed and water, with a solid light-coloured railing along the roadway. No arches are visible and the structure sits low over the river.

Until 1860 the Var marked the border between the Duchy of Savoy, later the Kingdom of Sardinia, and Provence, annexed by France in 1481. Crossings here long relied on fragile wooden bridges swept away by floods, or on guéilleurs who carried travellers across on their shoulders. A stone bridge linking Nice to Saint-Laurent-du-Var was inaugurated in 1864 and named for Napoleon III, who had obtained the County of Nice from the House of Savoy.

The bridge received decorative elements in 2010, including nineteen polyester resin vases and bronze lampposts to commemorate its 150th anniversary.

The bridge carries the RM 6007 road between Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var, with a flat deck and solid parapet and no separate footway marked in the photograph. Crossings are by road only; check traffic conditions before setting out, as the deck is exposed with no shelter.

In 1919, pilot Auguste Maïcon flew his aircraft twice under the bridge's arches in a daring maneuver that showcased both his skills and the structure's height and stability. This unusual stunt reveals how the bridge captured attention as a landmark even in aviation's early days.