Law organizing work on the Saône 1837 (≈ 1837)
Legal framework for the diversion project.
1838
Start of work
Start of work 1838 (≈ 1838)
First digging phases led by Lacordaire.
1843
Structural completion of the tunnel
Structural completion of the tunnel 1843 (≈ 1843)
End of drilling, but commissioning postponed.
1880
Entry into service of the tunnel
Entry into service of the tunnel 1880 (≈ 1880)
Opening under the direction of Bouvait.
18 septembre 1990
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 18 septembre 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protection of the site and its surroundings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Needle barrage on the Saône and its needle store; bridge diversion channel upstream to the downstream bridge, with its earthworks; upstream bridge; downstream deck; lock house with outbuildings (upstream); upstream masonry entrance; downstream masonry entrance; tunnel and its ventilation well (Case G 210): inscription by order of 18 September 1990
Key figures
Philippe Lacordaire - Chief Engineer
Manufacturer and initial director of works.
Gustave Bouvaist - Successor engineer
Supervises completion and commissioning.
Origin and history
The canal tunnel of Saint-Albin, 681 metres long and 6.55 metres wide, was designed to short-circuit a meander of the Saône, thus avoiding a 7 km detour to the boatmen. It is part of a bypass canal including bridges, a lock, and a needle dam, controlled by the Guard Gate upstream. This project is part of the work to improve navigation on the Saône between Port-sur-Saône and Verdun-sur-le-Doubs, adopted by the law of 19 July 1837.
The works, initially led by engineer Philippe Lacordaire, started in 1838 but suffered several interruptions. The digging uses galleries supported by wooden hangers, and gunpowder to drill the rock. About 100 workers, including many Italians specializing in tunnels, participate in the project. In 1843, the tunnel was structurally completed, but its commissioning took place only in 1880, under the direction of Gustave Bouvast, with a chain system replacing the lift benches.
The tunnel, still in use for recreational navigation, has been listed as a historic monument since 18 September 1990. Its masonry entrances, its central ventilation well, and the surrounding developments (lockhouse, earthworks) testify to its remarkable engineering. Originally, an almanach regulated the time zones of single-way passage, now replaced by signal lights.
The construction combines technical innovation and adaptation to the relief: the cradle vault, the retaining walls, and the vegetated terraces upstream contrast with the S curve of the downstream entrance. The excavated materials were used to build and radiate the walls, while the wells, initially numerous, were plugged except the central one, providing ventilation.
The underground canal illustrates the logistical challenges of the 19th century in modernizing waterways. Its utility architecture, combining functionality and aesthetics (upstream verticality, downstream landscape integration), reflects the concerns of the engineers of the time. The site remains a rare example of operational tunnel-channel, a symbol of the French industrial river heritage.
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