Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The canal bridge of La Tranchasse, located between Ainay-le-Vieil and Colombiers in the Cher, was built between 1829 and 1834 to allow the Berry Canal to cross the Cher. Designed by engineer Joseph-Michel Dutens, it is 96 metres long with 8 low arches, and was the longest canal bridge in this river system. By 1837, the local stone, vulnerable to weather, required urgent repairs.

In 1844, the bowl was covered with bitumen and expanded to 2.70 m, then to 5.30 m in 1872 to respond to the increase in traffic. A partial collapse in 1878 led to reinforcements by metal pulls and steel rings on the batteries. Used until 1955, it was used mainly to transport coal and ore between the Allier mines and the Berry forges.

Disused in 1956, the bridge was closed to pedestrians in 2014 due to the deterioration of the guardrails, before being reopened after work in 2019. Close by, the smaller (10 m) La Croix Canal Bridge crossed the Roche Creek. Since 2009, the whole (channel bridge, lock and adjacent bridge) has been listed as historical monuments, testifying to 19th century river engineering.

The secured lock, filled in the 1960s-70s, and the lockhouse, converted into a home, recall the past activity of the site. The northern basin, now abandoned as the bridge, completes this heritage complex linked to the golden age of the canals in France.

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