Pont du Châtelet, Stone arch bridge in Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, France.
Pont du Châtelet is a stone arch bridge that crosses the Ubaye valley, spanning the river with a single bold curve rising above the gorge. The roadway is narrow and carved partly through the rocky mountainside at one end, accommodating the challenging terrain.
The bridge was completed in 1882 and replaced an old mule track that could not accommodate vehicles. This created the first motorized access to remote alpine communities that were previously cut off from the valley below.
The bridge serves as a vital connection for the mountain communities that would otherwise be isolated in this alpine region. For visitors, it represents how infrastructure shaped the way people live together in these remote valleys.
The roadway is narrow with limited width, so visitors should drive carefully or choose to walk across. The best time to visit is during warmer months when the mountain route is most accessible and safe for travel.
When it opened in 1882, it was the world's highest arch bridge relative to its span. This remarkable engineering feat proved that such ambitious mountain construction was possible at a time when few places had achieved anything similar.
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