Pont Faidherbe
Coordinates: 16 ° 1 ′ 33 ″ N , 16 ° 30 ′ 4 ″ W.
| Pont Faidherbe | ||
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| use | Road bridge | |
| Crossing of | Senegal | |
| place | Saint-Louis , Senegal | |
| construction | Semi-parabolic beam | |
| overall length | 515 m | |
| width | 6.2 m | |
| Longest span | 78 m | |
| start of building | 1894 | |
| completion | 1897 | |
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The Pont Faidherbe is the only bridge that connects the old town of Saint-Louis in Senegal , located on the Île de Saint-Louis , over the main arm of the Senegal River with the newer districts on the left eastern bank of the river.
It is named after the former French governor of the colony of Senegal, General Louis Faidherbe (1818-1889).
The road bridge consists of seven bridge fields with steel semi-parabolic girders , namely a 43 m long connecting field in front of the shore of the island, a 73 m long swing bridge and five 78 m long, fixed bridge girders. It has two lanes and wide sidewalks on the outside of the girders.
history
In 1858 the governor Faidherbe had a ferry set up that could transport up to 150 people or comparable loads of horses, cattle and goods. The increasing traffic soon required a second ferry, later an extra boat for animals. The crossing was not without risks; the chain of conductors tore again and again, and occasionally a ferry was driven into the sea.
In 1865 a pontoon bridge was opened, named after Faidherbe, who had returned to France in 1861. It consisted of 40 sheet iron pontoons , three of which could be moved to the side to allow ships to pass.
In 1885 the railway line was opened between the station near the bridge on the Île de Sor and Dakar , but weight restrictions had to be introduced on the pontoon bridge due to the increasing and heavier traffic. Despite various problems, the pontoon bridge remained in use for 32 years.
In 1892 it was decided to build a permanent bridge. In the tender carried out in Paris, offers from Nouguier Kessler & Cie. and the Société de Construction de Levallois-Perret, Gustave Eiffel's company , was shortlisted. Although Eiffel's offer was seen as the best from a technical point of view, the competitor's offer was ultimately preferred and accepted for aesthetic reasons.
The new steel bridge was designed by Nouguier Kessler & Cie. built between 1894 and 1897. There were two opening ceremonies, first on July 14, 1897, the French national holiday , with the governor and on October 19 with André Lebon , who thus became the first French colonial minister to visit a colony.
In the period that followed, a number of modern myths emerged that are still spread today. The bridge was originally built as a Danube bridge or was intended for another colony ( Indochina ?) And it was built by Gustave Eiffel, which is still claimed in various travel guides today.
The old town of Saint-Louis and the Pont Faidherbe have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 .
In the years 2008 to 2011, extensive renovation work took place with the support of the Agence française de développement , during which larger parts of the structure were rebuilt according to the old model. This work was carried out under the direction of Eiffage , the successor to the company, which at the time was refused the contract to build the bridge. After the completion of this work, a big celebration took place on November 19, 2011 in the presence of the then President Abdoulaye Wade.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f La véritable histoire du pont Faidherbe on Saint-Louis du Sénégal.com
- ↑ Réhabilitation du Pont Faidherbe de on the website of the Agence Française Développement
- ↑ Le pont Faidherbe de Saint-Louis du Sénégal inauguré on November 19, 2011 ( Memento of the original from December 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on Saint-Louis du Sénégal.com
