Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Camille-de-Hogues Bridge is a pioneering road construction in reinforced concrete, built on the Vienna River in Châtellerault, New Aquitaine. It was designed to serve the Manufacture d'Armes on the left bank, in response to local demands in 1879. In 1897, Mayor Camille de Hogues launched a contest for its construction, opposing a metal project (204,500 F) to a reinforced concrete proposal (175,000 F) by Hennebique, chosen for its reduced cost and validated by the engineer of the Bridges and Chaussées.

Work began in August 1899 with reinforced concrete foundations and arches, a revolutionary technique combining concrete and steel resistance. The bridge, consisting of three spans (40 m, 50 m, 40 m), was completed in September 1900 and inaugurated under the name Pont de la Manufacture. It becomes the first large reinforced concrete bridge in France, with a height reduced to 0.70 m between the arches and the apron, optimizing the slope and flow of the floods.

From 1902, cracks and road defects required repairs until 1910, followed by other interventions in the 1930s. In 1913 or 1919 he was renamed Pont Camille-de-Hogues in tribute to the mayor (1896–1904). Saved by the Germans in 1944 thanks to the intervention of the sub-prefect Marcel Wiltzer, it is classified as a historical monument in 2002 and labeled Heritage of the 20th century.

Between 2006 and 2009, a major renovation by realcalinization of concrete treats carbonation and corrosion of reinforcements, caused by 2,000 to 3,000 daily vehicles. The innovative technique restores the pH of concrete to protect structures. Owned by the urban community, the bridge remains a symbol of modern engineering and local industrial heritage.

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