Barrage de l'Aigle, Dam in Corrèze and Cantal, France
Barrage de l'Aigle is a concrete dam that spans the Dordogne river, with part of it in Soursac, Corrèze, and part in Chalvignac, Cantal. The structure is an arch-gravity dam, standing 289 meters long and rising 318 meters above sea level, with a road running across its top and a vertical upstream face that forms a cylinder with a 150-meter radius.
The dam was designed by André Coyne and built during the Second World War, with construction delayed so the work would not fall into enemy hands. It was inaugurated on October 15, 1945, and its first turbine group started operating the same day, followed by others in the following years.
The dam is known locally as "the dam of resistance" because its construction was deliberately slowed during the Second World War to prevent the enemy from using it. Today, the road across the crest is a regular route for locals, and the reservoir is a spot for fishing and boating, with the dam forming a backdrop to daily life in the valley.
You can drive across the dam on the road that runs along its crest, which offers views of the river and the reservoir on both sides. The site is best visited on foot or by car, and the surrounding area has parking spots and paths for walking, though some sections may be steep or uneven.
The dam was over-equipped with an extra turbine group placed 100 meters downstream, which was put into service in 1982. This addition is not visible from the crest and is often overlooked by visitors, who focus on the main structure.
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