Fermanville Viaduct, Railway viaduct in Fermanville, France
The Fermanville Viaduct is a former railway viaduct of pink Fermanville granite, 242.40 m long, 5 m wide and 32 m high, with twenty round-headed arches of 10 m span. Its 3.30 m deck carried a single track across the Poult valley, the valley of the Mills. The piers taper toward the deck, where shallow recessed panels sit beneath the arches.
The structure was completed in 1911 as part of the Cherbourg-Barfleur railway line to cross difficult terrain. Its construction marked a key step in opening this Normandy coast area to modern rail transport.
The viaduct shows how the railway transformed life in this coastal area by connecting people and goods across difficult terrain. Today it stands as a reminder of when such structures represented progress and modern engineering.
The viaduct is best viewed from the road below or beside the structure where its full height and span become clear. Access is via local roads near Fermanville, and the best time to visit is during clear weather for clear views and photographs.
Every granite block used came from local quarries in the region, showing how the structure was built from materials found nearby. This makes the viaduct a direct product of the geology found in this coastal area.
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