Pont des Invalides

Coordinates: 48°51′49″N 02°18′37″E / 48.86361°N 2.31028°E / 48.86361; 2.31028

Pont des Invalides
Pont des Invalides illuminated at night
Coordinates	48°51′52″N 02°18′37″E / 48.86444°N 2.31028°E / 48.86444; 2.31028
Crosses	Seine
Locale	Paris, France
Official name	Pont des Invalides
Maintained by	Civil Service
Next upstream	Pont Alexandre III
Next downstream	Pont de l'Alma
Characteristics
Design	Arch Bridge
Total length	152 m (499 ft)
Width	18 m (59 ft)
History
Opened	1855 (current structure)

The Pont des Invalides is the lowest bridge traversing the Seine in Paris.

History

The story of this bridge started in 1821, when engineer Claude Navier conceived a technologically revolutionary bridge that crossed the Seine in one single reach without any point of support in between. The proposed suspension bridge, the construction of which started in 1824, was meant to be erected opposite to the Hotel des Invalides on the site of the current Pont Alexandre III. Due to cracks in some parts of the bridge and gradual settling, the project was abandoned before the bridge even made it into service.

In response to complaints from the defenders of the Invalides perspective, the Public Services decided to shift the bridge site upriver. Therefore, in 1829, two engineers, de Verges and Bayard de la Vingtrie, completed the construction of a proper suspension bridge supported by two piers in the Seine and three porticos, each 20 m in height.^[1] Unfortunately, due to rapidly growing wear on the bridge, its access had to be regulated in 1850

In 1854, the bridge was demolished to be replaced by a new one in time for the upcoming 1855 World Fair in Paris. Paul-Martin Gallocher de Lagalisserie and Jules Savarin used the existing piers of the former suspension bridge and a newly added central pier to build an arch bridge in masonry on the same site. The new pier was adorned with sculptures in two allegorical themes: the Land Victory by Victor Vilain upriver; the Maritime Victory by Georges Diébolt downstream, whereas the two old piers were adorned with sculptures of military trophies bearing the imperial coat of arms, both the work of Astyanax-Scévola Bosio.

Despite being stronger, the new bridge still sustained a subsidence between 25 and 30 cm in 1878, and lost two arches during the winter of 1880 (restored by the end of the year). The bridge has been quite secure since then and the only modification made in the 20th century was the expansion of its pavement in 1956.

Access

Location on the Seine

___	Located near the Métro station: Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau.

___	Located near the Métro station: La Tour-Maubourg.

___	Located near the Métro station: Alma - Marceau.

References

↑ Drewry, Charles Stewart (1832). A Memoir of Suspension Bridges: Comprising The History Of Their Origin And Progress. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman. pp. 102–105. Retrieved 2009-06-13.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pont des Invalides.

(in French) Bridge history
(in French) More bridge history

7th arrondissement of Paris
Neighbourhoods	Faubourg Saint-Germain Quartier du Gros-Caillou
Primary and secondary schools	Lycée et collège Victor Duruy Établissement La Rochefoucauld Institut de l'Alma Lycée-collège Paul-Claudel Lycée d'Hulst Lycée Sainte-Jeanne Elisabeth Lycée Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin Lycée Thérèse-Chappuis Istituto Statale Italiano Leonardo Da Vinci
Colleges and universities	American University of Paris Sciences Po
Landmarks	American Church in Paris Eiffel Tower Hôtel de Boisgelin Hôtel Matignon Les Invalides Musée de l'Armée Musée des Plans-Reliefs Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine Musée Maillol Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération Musée du quai Branly Musée Rodin Musée Valentin Haüy Pont de l'Alma Pont des Invalides Taipei Representative Office in France
Paris Métro stations	Assemblée Nationale Champ de Mars Duroc École Militaire Invalides La Tour-Maubourg Rue du Bac Saint-François-Xavier Ségur Sèvres – Babylone Solférino Vaneau Varenne
Paris RER stations	Invalides

8th arrondissement of Paris
Neighbourhoods	Quartier des Champs-Élysées Quartier du Faubourg-du-Roule Quartier de la Madeleine Quartier de l'Europe
Primary and secondary schools	Lycée Chaptal Lycée Racine Cours Hattemer Lycée Fénelon Sainte-Marie
Colleges and universities	Intégrale : Institut d'enseignement supérieur privé
Landmarks	Arc de Triomphe Champs-Élysées Grand Palais Élysée Palace Four Seasons Hotel George V Hôtel de Crillon Hôtel de Marigny Hôtel de la Marine La Madeleine Musée Bouilhet-Christofle (closed) Musée Cernuschi Musée Jacquemart-André Musée Nissim de Camondo Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Paris Palais de la Découverte Parc Monceau Petit Palais Pinacothèque de Paris (closed) Place Charles de Gaulle Place de la Concorde Luxor Obelisk Pont Alexandre III Pont de l'Alma Pont de la Concorde Pont des Invalides Royal Monceau Raffles Paris Saint-Augustin, Paris The Scots Kirk, Paris Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Théâtre du Rond-Point
Paris Métro stations	Alma – Marceau Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau Charles de Gaulle – Étoile Concorde Courcelles Europe George V Liège Madeleine Miromesnil Monceau Place de Clichy Rome Saint-Augustin Saint-Lazare Saint-Philippe du Roule Ternes Villiers
SNCF stations	Gare Saint-Lazare

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