Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The viaducts of Morez mainly designate two emblematic works of the railway line between Morbier and Saint-Claude, in the Jura department. The viaduct of Morez, designed by the engineer Paul Séjourné, spans the valley of the Évalude at 40 meters high, while the viaduct of the Crottes, hanging on a cliff, dominates the landscape from the heights. These structures are part of a set of six viaducts and three tunnels built to connect the stations of Morbier (861 m above sea level) and Morez (736 m), which are only 1.5 km apart in flight from the bird but separated by a 125 m elevation.

The line between Champagnole and Morez was inaugurated in 1900, followed in 1912 by the section Morez-Saint-Claude. To overcome natural obstacles, engineers Moron (Ponts and Chaussées) and Moris (PLM) designed five viaducts with varying characteristics: cradle arches, tight curves (up to 180 m radius), and controlled decicles (max. 30 mm/m). The viaduct of Morez, the only historical monument, is distinguished by its elegances and curved structure of 203 m long, while the viaduct of Crottes, 165 m long, marries the rocky side with eleven arches of 12 m.

The three tunnels complete this technical set: the Fosses tunnel, 1,044 m long and completed in 1897, is the most imposing, with horse-iron curves and constant gradient. The viaducts of the Évalude (217 m) and Romand (92.5 m) illustrate the diversity of solutions to cross gullies and valleys. The viaduct of the Source, close to the station of Morez, supports the tracks of the two railway sections and their junction apparatus. These works, which are now emblematic, bear witness to the audacity of engineers to open up a mountainous region at the beginning of the twentieth century.

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