Pont de Pierre

The Pont de Pierre crosses the Garonne in Bordeaux, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France, linking the old city on the left bank with the La Bastide district on the right bank. Opened in 1822, it was the first bridge built across the river in the city, and for more than a century it remained the only crossing in Bordeaux, until the Pont Saint-Jean opened in 1965. The idea for a bridge dated from the Napoleonic era, and it was the engineer Claude Deschamps who designed it, with the project supported by the engineer Jean-Baptiste Basile Billaudel. The work was difficult because of the strong tidal currents of the Garonne, and the builders used innovative techniques of the time, including a floating caisson, to lay the foundations of the piers. The bridge is about 487 metres long and rests on 17 arches. A popular tradition holds that the number of arches matches the 17 letters of the name Napoléon Bonaparte, and the arches are faced in brick and local stone, with medallions and carved decoration between the spans. The masonry is a neoclassical design, restrained but monumental, and the bridge has been in continuous service ever since. Over time it has been widened and adapted: it now carries road traffic, the tram, cyclists and pedestrians, and the sidewalks offer some of the best views of the Place de la Bourse and the quays. Repairs and cleaning campaigns have kept the structure in good condition. The bridge is part of the UNESCO listing of Bordeaux, Port of the Moon. Crossing it on foot is the main way to experience the site, and visitors can continue to the Jardin Botanique and the Darwin Ecosystème on the right bank, or look back at the skyline of spires and domes. The bridge is free to cross at all hours, and the walk takes about ten minutes each way.