Pont de Thoissey, Road bridge in Thoissey and Dracé, France
Pont de Thoissey is a road bridge that crosses the Saône River and connects the towns of Thoissey and Dracé with a concrete structure for vehicle traffic. It carries cars and trucks daily between the two riverbanks.
A Seguin-type suspension bridge with two spans of about 80 m each and a wooden plank deck had stood here since 1835. The reinforced-concrete arch bridge was built from 1923 to 1925 to plans by Claude Bioret, executed by Joyat & Berges, partly on the old abutments, and opened on 23 August 1925. In the Second World War retreating German troops blew up the eastern arch; the rebuild used some American reinforcing iron because materials were hard to obtain.
The bridge carries the route départementale over the Saône and doubles as a gauging station for the river's water level. Just south of its eastern abutment lies the Port de Thoissey, where the Chalaronne meets the Saône.
The bridge is open year-round for traffic and provides a direct crossing of the Saône between the two towns. Pedestrians and cyclists can also use it to travel between the communities.
The eastern arch was blown up by retreating German troops in World War II; when it was rebuilt, shortages of material led to partly American reinforcing steel being used. The bridge also serves as a gauging station for the Saône's water level.
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