Pont de Wandre

Pont de Wandre
Coordinates 50°40′27″N 5°38′37″E / 50.674072°N 5.643495°E / 50.674072; 5.643495Coordinates: 50°40′27″N 5°38′37″E / 50.674072°N 5.643495°E / 50.674072; 5.643495
Carries Road vehicles
Crosses River Meuse, Albert Canal
Locale Herstal, Liège, Belgium
Characteristics
Design Cable stayed bridge
Total length 527 m
Height 95.5 m
Longest span 168 m
History
Designer René Greisch
References
[1]

The Pont de Wandre is a single pier cable-stayed bridge carrying the N667 road across the Albert Canal and River Meuse between Liège (on the east side) and Herstal (on the west side), both in Belgium.

History and description

From the 15th to 19th century the Meuse at Wandre was crossed by a ferry. In 1884 the first bridge crossing between Herstal and Wandre was built; it consisted of a metal bowstring bridge across the canal, a seven arched brick and stone viaduct across the land between the two waterways, then a box section rectangular girder truss bridge across the Meuse supported on three piers. Due to increased traffic caused by industrial development a second bridge was built upstream of the first between 1935 and 1937; this was blown up by the Belgian Army in 1940. Two temporary metal pedestrian bridges of metal replaced the destroyed bridge.[2]

Construction of replacement bridges began in 1947; a 59.4m long bridge across the Albert Canal (le pont de l'Esparanto), and a three span concrete bridge across the Meuse of total length 190m; the new construction was officially opened in 1948.[2]

An increase in traffic on the Albert Canal during the 1970s necessitated its expansion for larger vessels required the widening of the channel from 35 to 85m; as a result this expansion also required the construction of a new bridge.[2]

Work to construct a new bridge to replace the post war bridges began in 1985;[2] the bridge was officially opened 16 June 1989, at a cost of 508million belgian francs.[1] It connects suburbs Wandre and Herstal of Liege, crossing the Meuse and Albert Canals,[1] the main support stands on the isthmus between the Meuse and Albert canal.

The total length of the bridge including the approach sections is ~527m, the main cable stayed spans are 144m and 168m.[1] The inverted Y shaped concrete main support is 88.5m high, and supports a 22m wide road deck.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sources:
    • Nicholas Janberg (ed.), "Wandre Bridge", en.structurae.de, Nicolas Janberg's Structurae
    • "Le pont de Wandre", www.herstal.be (in French), Site officiel de la Ville de Herstal
  2. 1 2 3 4 "D'hier et d'aujourd'hui : Du passeur d'eau.. au Pont de Wandre" (PDF), www.herstal.be (in French)
  3. ↑ Sources:
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