Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Caroual viaduct, located in Erquy in the Côtes d'Armor, is a railway structure built between 1914 and 1916 under the direction of engineer Louis Harel de La Noë. With a length of 109.25 metres and a height of 17.50 metres, it consists of seven spans, including a central arc of 45 metres of reinforced concrete, framed by masonry and concrete arches. This viaduct illustrates the innovative techniques of Harel de La Noë, combining standardization, prefabrication on site and use of reinforced concrete, characteristic of the major works of the local rail network.

Inaugurated in 1922 after work to strengthen the apron (addition of spars and a hurdles), the viaduct served on the Yffiniac-Matignon line until its closure in 1948. Ranked a historic monument in 2014, it was then banned from circulation in 2014 due to the deterioration of its aprons and guardrails. A restoration project, estimated at €1.25 million, was envisaged by the town hall of Erquy for 2019-2020, in order to preserve this emblematic heritage of Breton railways.

The viaduct embodies the industrial heritage of the Côtes d'Armor and the know-how of Harel de La Noë, pioneer of reinforced concrete in France. Its architecture, marked by cross arches of Saint Andrew and local materials (stones, puddingue), makes it a unique testimony of railway engineering of the early twentieth century. Today, it remains a symbol of Breton technical heritage, despite the challenges of its conservation.

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