January 20, 1995
A cable-stayed road bridge in northwestern France’s Normandy region first went into service. The Pont de Normandie (Normandy Bridge) spans the river Seine and connects the commune of Honfleur with the major port city of Le Havre. This bridge has the distinction of being the last bridge to cross the Seine before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the English Channel.
The Pont de Normandie was designed by structural engineer Michel Virlogeux (born in 1946). Construction on the bridge began in 1988. This structure has a total length of 7,032 feet (2,143.2 meters). At the time of its opening, the Pont de Normandie was the world’s longest cable-stayed bridge. It also held the record for having the longest distance — more than 820 feet (250 meters) — between piers.
A motorway toll bridge, the Pont de Normandie is part of the A29 autoroute. This bridge has four lanes altogether for motor vehicle traffic and footpaths for pedestrians and lanes for cycling. Pedestrians and bicyclists — along with motorcyclists — are permitted to cross the bridge free of charge.
Photo Credit: Emdx (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
For more information on the Pont de Normandie (Normandy Bridge), please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_de_Normandie
Transportation History 