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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Lanespede viaduct is a railway viaduct built between 1865 and 1867 to cross the Lene River and National Road 117, as part of the Capvern ramp. It is 200 metres long and 35 metres high, consists of 20 arches and was built with 11,000 m3 of bricks carried by carts drawn by oxen. Its impressive architecture and construction technique reflect the technical challenges of the time.

The work, begun on May 8, 1865 and completed on April 1, 1867, proceeded without major accident, a rarity for the time. The first train crossed the viaduct in 1869, carrying Emperor Napoleon III on his way to the camp of Lannemezan. This imperial passage symbolically marked the inauguration of the work, although its construction had already been completed two years earlier.

Ranked historic monument by decree of 28 December 1984, the viaduct illustrates the engineering of the 19th century and its role in the development of rail transport. In 1982, the route of National 117 was changed to the viaduct, before being integrated into the A64 motorway in 1989. Today, there remains a major testimony of the industrial heritage of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

The viaduct extends over the municipalities of Lanespède, Bégole and Peré, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. Its location, both strategic and picturesque, makes it an emblematic element of the local landscape. The bricks used, marked "Mine d'Orignac", come from a regional production, highlighting the territorial anchoring of the work.

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