Adoption of the draft 1986 (≈ 1986)
Decision of the Paris Council for its construction.
1993-1996
Construction of the bridge
Construction of the bridge 1993-1996 (≈ 1995)
Directed by Arretch and Karasinski.
2016
Autonomous shuttle experiment
Autonomous shuttle experiment 2016 (≈ 2016)
RATP test between Lyon and Austerlitz stations.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Charles de Gaulle - Stateman
Bridge named in his honor.
Louis Arretche - Architect
Co-conceptor of the bridge.
Roman Karasinski - Architect
Co-conceptor of the bridge.
Origin and history
The Charles-de-Gaulle Bridge is a contemporary work crossing the Seine in Paris, inaugurated in 1996. It connects the 12th arrondissement (Van-Gogh Street) to the 13th district (Austerlitz Quai), responding to the need to unblock the Austerlitz Bridge and connect the Lyon and Austerlitz stations. Its design, signed by Louis Arretch and Roman Karasinski, evokes a wing of white steel aircraft, with discrete batteries to fit into the landscape.
This bridge is part of the urban development of south-eastern Paris, particularly around the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Bercy district. Its project, adopted in 1986, was also intended to prepare for the arrival of hectometre transport between stations (finally abandoned for technical and financial reasons). In 2016, RATP tested an autonomous shuttle between Lyon and Austerlitz stations.
The name of the bridge pays tribute to Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), General and President of the French Republic. Unlike the nearby pedestrian bridges (Senghor, Beauvoir), it remains the last road bridge built in Paris. Its strategic location, served by the Gare d'Austerlitz metro station, makes it a key axis for Parisian traffic.
