Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas

The Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas is a vertical-lift bridge across the Garonne on the north quays of Bordeaux, close to La Cité du Vin and the Bassins à flot district. Opened in 2013, it was named after Jacques Chaban-Delmas, the long-serving mayor of the city, and it links the left bank with the area of Bacalan and the northern ring of the city. The bridge has a central span of 117 metres that can be raised vertically, along its flanking towers, to about 77 metres above the water, so that tall ships and cruise vessels can pass beneath on their way to the upper port. When the span is lowered it carries road traffic, trams or pedestrians according to the lane arrangement, and when it rises it becomes a public spectacle. Lifts are scheduled in advance, and the timetable is published on bordeaux.fr, so visitors can plan to watch the span rise and fall from the quays. The lift itself takes several minutes, and spectators gather along the riverside walkways and near the tram stop. The best viewpoints are from the quays on either bank, from where the two towers and the rising deck can be photographed together, and from the area around La Cité du Vin, which is a short walk away. Visitors who simply want to cross the bridge can do so on foot at any time when it is closed to ships, and the walk offers wide views of the river and the city skyline. A visit to watch a lift takes 20 to 30 minutes, plus waiting time if arriving early. The bridge is free to see, and the main planning step is checking the lift schedule beforehand, since the span only rises for scheduled ship passages. Crowds are small outside lift times, and slightly larger at lift events on weekends. The bridge is a good addition to a visit to La Cité du Vin, reached by tram B, and shows the modern face of the port city in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.