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Origin and history

The Cacor Canal Bridge is a major art work located in Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne department (Occitan region). Built between 1842 and 1845 under the Monarchy of July, it allows the lateral canal at the Garonne to cross the Tarn. Its impressive dimensions (356 metres long and 8.35 metres wide) make it a remarkable example of 19th-century engineering, combining Toulouse bricks and Quercy stone.

The engineer François Terrié, inspired by the model of the Napoleon Bridge, designed this work, while the work was carried out by the entrepreneur Pierre Causseran. The canal bridge was completed in 1844-1845 and opened for navigation in 1847. He also played an unexpected role in 1930-1932, when trains temporarily borrowed after the destruction of the nearby railway viaduct by a Tarn flood.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1997, the Cacor Canal Bridge includes its abutments, embankments and stairs in its protection. Its architecture reflects the construction techniques of the time, while illustrating the importance of waterways for transport and the regional economy in the 19th century. In the vicinity, the Cacor railway viaduct, built in 1857, demonstrates the complementarity between river and rail networks during the industrial revolution.

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