Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge

General Information

Other name(s):	Pont transbordeur de Rochefort-Martrou
Beginning of works:	1898
Completion:	29 July 1900
Duration of works:	27 months
Status:	in use

Location:	Rochefort, Charente-Maritime (17), Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Crosses:	Charente River
Replaced by:	Martrou Lift Bridge (1966)
Coordinates:	45° 54' 58.00" N 0° 57' 40.00" W

	main span	139.916 m
	total length	175 m
cabin	width	11.50 m
cabin	length	14 m
deck	deck width	8.00 m
deck	height above valley floor or water	50.00 m
pylons	height	66.25 m

cost of construction

French Franc 586 500

8 July 1900	First day of service.
1933 - 1934	Deck beams and suspension replaced and modified.
1967	End of service. The transporter bridge is abandoned in favor of a vertical lift bridge.
30 April 1976	Classified as historic monument.
1990 - 1994	Refurbished.

Design

Contractor

Deswarte, Sylvie & Lemoine, Bertrand L'architecture et les ingénieurs, Moniteur, Paris (France), ISBN 2281190994, 1997; pp. 139
Grattesat, Guy & Arsac, Auguste Ponts de France, Presses Ponts et chaussées, Paris (France), ISBN 2859780300, 1984; pp. 126
Lemoine, Bertrand L'architecture du fer, Champ Vallon, Seyssel (France), ISBN 2903528713, 322; pp. 124
Montens, Serge Les plus beaux ponts de France, Bonneton, Paris (France), ISBN 2862532754, 2001; pp. 90-91
Prade, Marcel Les ponts monuments historiques, Editions Brissaud, Poitiers (France), ISBN 2903442819, 1988; pp. 124-125
Sigot, Jacques La France des Transbordeurs, Alan Sutton, France (France), ISBN 2849102628, 2005
Stiglat, Klaus Brücken am Weg, Wilhelm Ernst & Sohn Verlag für Architektur und technische Wissenschaften GmbH, Berlin (Germany), ISBN 3433012997, 1997; pp. 111-113