Start of work 1838 (≈ 1838)
Launch of the project under Lacordaire.
1882
Completion of tunnel
Completion of tunnel 1882 (≈ 1882)
End of work under Bouvast.
18 septembre 1990
Registration MH
Registration MH 18 septembre 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protection of channel elements.
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 (Box ZA 56, 70): inscription by order of 18 September 1990
Key figures
Philippe Lacordaire - Engineer
Initial project designer.
Gustave Bouvaist - Engineer
Directed completion in 1882.
Origin and history
The Saint-Albin tunnel-channel, located in the communes of Ovanches and Scey-sur-Saône-et-Saint-Albin (Haute-Saône), is part of a Saône bypass canal designed to avoid a meandering and shorten the journey of boaters by 7 km. 681 metres long and 6.55 metres wide, it was completed in 1882 after several construction campaigns (1838, 1841, 1876, 1880). This project, initially led by engineer Philippe Lacordaire and then finalized under Gustave Bouvait, aimed to improve the airworthiness of the river by bypassing Traves and the Chassey-lès-Scey needle dam.
The underground canal is controlled by a guard gate upstream and a lock downstream. Still in use for recreational navigation, it was listed as a historical monument on 18 September 1990. The inscription also covers the needle dam, the upstream and downstream bridges, the lockhouse and its outbuildings, as well as the surrounding earthworks. These elements bear witness to the 19th century river engineering and its adaptation to geographical constraints.
The tunnel, with its masonry entrances and ventilation well, illustrates the construction techniques of the period. Its historic role was twofold: to facilitate river trade by reducing distances, and to secure navigation by avoiding dangerous areas of the meander. Today, there remains a remarkable example of industrial heritage linked to waterways in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
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