Viaduc d'Austerlitz
| Viaduc d'Austerlitz | |
|---|---|
Austerlitz Viaduct
|
|
| Coordinates | 48°50′37″N 02°22′04″E / 48.84361°N 2.36778°E |
| Carries | Metro Traffic |
| Crosses | Seine |
| Locale | Paris, France |
| Official name | Viaduc d'Austerlitz |
| Maintained by | Transit Authority of Paris |
| Next upstream | Pont Charles-de-Gaulle |
| Next downstream | Pont d'Austerlitz |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch Bridge, Suspended Deck |
| Longest span | 140 m |
| History | |
| Opened | 1904 |
Coordinates: 48°50′37″N 02°22′04″E / 48.84361°N 2.36778°E
Viaduc d'Austerlitz (English: Austerlitz Viaduct) is a single-deck, steel arch, rail bridge that crosses the Seine in Paris. Its usage is solely dedicated to the railroad traffic on Line 5 of the Parisian Metro Network. It links Gare d'Austerlitz on the left bank to Quai de la Rapée on the other side of the river.
Due to restrictions posed by navigational traffic, it was implausible to place a pier in the middle of the river. Therefore, in 1903, engineer Louis Biette, with the help of Fulgence Bienvenüe, conceptualized a metallic bridge that crossed the river in a single span.
It was designed by the architect Jean-Camille Formigé, who also designed the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, the greenhouses of Auteiul, and the park below the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur, and restored the Roman amphitheater in Arles and the Roman theater in Orange. . Formigé decorated the steel arcs with marine-themed reliefs, including dolphins, seashells and seaweeds. Parts of the steel footings are etched with figures of the Parisian Coat of Arms, which symbolizes steadfastness.
...
Wikipedia