Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The bridge of Saint-Pierre-du-Vauvray, located in the department of Eure in Normandy, replaces a first cast iron work inaugurated in 1861. This three-arched bridge, damaged by a flood of the Seine in 1913, was destroyed after a convoy of barges struck it. A competition launched by the Ministry of Public Works resulted in the selection of the project of Eugene Freyssinet, pioneer engineer of reinforced concrete.

The new bridge, built between 1921 and 1923, became at its inauguration the longest reinforced concrete bridge with unique arch in the world, with a range of 131 metres. Destroyed in June 1940 by the French genius during the Second World War, it was reconstructed identically in 1946 and returned to service in 1947. Since 1975, it has been listed as a historical monument and bears the label "Twentieth Century Heritage".

Designed to support two car lanes and two sidewalks, this bridge ensures the continuity of departmental road 313 between Les Andelys and Louviers. It connects the island of the Bac to the left bank of the Seine, while allowing the passage of river traffic, unlike another neighbouring bridge reserved for pedestrians. Its innovative architecture and its turbulent history make it a major testimony of French engineering of the twentieth century.

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