Faidherbe Bridge, UNESCO Heritage arch bridge in Saint-Louis, Senegal.
The Faidherbe Bridge is a metal arch bridge roughly 500 meters long that spans the Senegal River and connects the island of Saint-Louis with the African mainland. The structure has eight sections with a movable middle section that can rotate to the side.
Construction took place during the era of French colonial rule in West Africa and was completed in 1897 to replace a temporary floating bridge. The work represented a major milestone in developing regional transportation infrastructure.
The bridge connects the historic core of the island with markets and mosques on the mainland, serving as a daily passage for pedestrians, traders, and vehicles. It functions as a meeting point where traditional food vendors set up alongside modern traffic.
Visitors should know that the middle section occasionally opens for river traffic, which can cause brief interruptions. It is best to walk across in early morning when traffic is lighter and the view of the river is clearer.
The middle rotating section can turn 45 degrees to open for vessels traveling on the river. This is a rare feature in this region and makes the crossing a spectacle when boats pass through.
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