Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Wilson Bridge, originally called the Royal Bridge, was built between 1765 and 1778 under the direction of engineers Mathieu Bayeux and Jean-Baptiste de Voglie, replacing the old 11th century Eudes Bridge. Composed of 15 arches and 434 meters long, it became a major axis of the city, linking Place Choiseul to the south with Place Anatole-France to the north. Its construction led to the disappearance of Santiago Island and the expulsion of 900 families of lavender and fishermen.

In 1789, four arches collapsed northward, requiring repairs until 1810. The bridge was renamed Wilson Bridge in 1918 in tribute to American President Woodrow Wilson, after Tours became a major logistics base for American troops during the First World War. Damaged during the two world wars (destructions in 1940 and 1944), it was rebuilt each time.

A dramatic collapse occurred in 1978, when six arches and the south abutment collapsed, depriving 110,000 inhabitants of water and disrupting electricity and telephone networks. The causes included the extraction of aggregates in the Loire, a drought in 1976 weakening the foundations, and the savings made during its construction. Reconstructed between 1980 and 1982 for 81 million francs, it was reopened in 1982.

Since 2013, the bridge has hosted the Tours tram, and since 2020 it has been reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. A symbol of the tourist heritage, it is part of a 66 hectare classified site along the Loire, protected since 1950. Its history reflects the technical, social and military challenges of Tours, from the Old Regime to the contemporary era.

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