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Origin and history

The Régemortes Bridge, located at Moulins in the Allier, is a stone work built in the 18th century to cross the Allier. Designed by engineer Louis de Régemortes, it is the first bridge in the region to withstand the violent floods of the river, thanks to technical innovations such as a general radier and a wide opening for the passage of waters. It replaces a previous bridge, designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1705, carried by a flood in 1710 before its completion.

The works, carried out between 1753 and 1763, included the destruction of the Madeleine district to dig a risberm and build a radier. The bridge, 300 metres long with thirteen arches, became a model for other works, such as the bridge of Loire at Nevers. It resisted major floods, including those of 1790 and 1866, and remained the only crossing of the Allier at Moulins until 1859.

During the Second World War, an arch was destroyed in 1940 to slow the German advance, then rebuilt in concrete. The bridge marks the demarcation line between the occupied and the free zones. After the war, it was classified as a historical monument in 1946. Work to strengthen the radier is being carried out to counter the lowering of the Allier bed due to the exploitation of gravel.

Today, the Régemortes Bridge is an architectural and historical symbol of Moulins. It offers a remarkable view of the arrows of the Cathedral and the Church of the Sacred Heart. To reduce traffic congestion (more than 22,000 vehicles per day), a new bridge was inaugurated in November 2023 downstream.

Louis de Régemortes published in 1771 a detailed work on the construction of the bridge, illustrating the techniques used. This document, together with subsequent studies, highlights the importance of this bridge in the history of French engineering and local urban planning.

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