I would like to finish with the bridges this week. This means that I will exceptionally make a post also today, a Thursday. Tomorrow you will have the last bridge post!! In the meantime I'm rather busy with visitors this week; hardly any time to visit your blogs. I will be back looking and commenting later!
This one will be about three bridges: Pont d’Austerlitz, Pont Charles de Gaulle and Pont de Bercy (the ones in yellow on this map).
The Pont d’Austerlitz dates from the first years of the 19th century, the Napoleon I times. The original version which you can see below was later considered too narrow and dangerous and it has been reinforced and widened since; a first time in 1854, a second time in 1885. The name comes of course - once more - from a Napoleon battle victory, against the Russians and the British, in 1805. As we can see from the above map, this bridge leads not only to the Gare (Station) d’Austerlitz , but also to the Jardin (Garden) des Plantes, the French major botanical garden, definitely worth a visit, not only for the plants, but also for several museums, an aquarium and a zoo. (I will make a post about it soon.)
The Pont d’Austerlitz had a very heavy traffic and more was to come with an at present ongoing development of the upstream left bank of the Seine. It was thus decided to create a new bridge. The Pont Charles de Gaulle dates from 1996 and offers a new much more direct connection between the Gare de Lyon and the Gare d’Austerlitz. The two bridges are one way (except if you walk or bike of course). I guess there is no need to explain the name of the bridge.
The last bridge for today will be Pont de Bercy (see previous post). The present bridge is from 1864 and it then replaced a previous one from 1832. It was enlarged in 1904 in order to also allow a second level, for the metro (line 6). The concept here is the same as with the Pont Bir-Hakeim (see previous post) allowing a combination of metro and other traffic. In 1992 the bridge doubled in width, keeping the original general aspect. As mentioned earlier, different new activities in this part of the city led to highly increased need of river passages. This included of course some features from the 80’s and 90's that we can see in the immediate neighbourhood of the bridge – the Ministry of Finance (leaving a wing of the Louvre for this modern complex), a new multi–sport arena also used for concerts, both mostly just called “Bercy”, a new building for the National Library (Bibliothèque François Mitterrand)... and a lot more, on both sides of the river. The picture on the top shows you the Pont de Bercy and the Ministry of Finance.
This one will be about three bridges: Pont d’Austerlitz, Pont Charles de Gaulle and Pont de Bercy (the ones in yellow on this map).The Pont d’Austerlitz dates from the first years of the 19th century, the Napoleon I times. The original version which you can see below was later considered too narrow and dangerous and it has been reinforced and widened since; a first time in 1854, a second time in 1885. The name comes of course - once more - from a Napoleon battle victory, against the Russians and the British, in 1805. As we can see from the above map, this bridge leads not only to the Gare (Station) d’Austerlitz , but also to the Jardin (Garden) des Plantes, the French major botanical garden, definitely worth a visit, not only for the plants, but also for several museums, an aquarium and a zoo. (I will make a post about it soon.)
The Pont d’Austerlitz had a very heavy traffic and more was to come with an at present ongoing development of the upstream left bank of the Seine. It was thus decided to create a new bridge. The Pont Charles de Gaulle dates from 1996 and offers a new much more direct connection between the Gare de Lyon and the Gare d’Austerlitz. The two bridges are one way (except if you walk or bike of course). I guess there is no need to explain the name of the bridge.
The last bridge for today will be Pont de Bercy (see previous post). The present bridge is from 1864 and it then replaced a previous one from 1832. It was enlarged in 1904 in order to also allow a second level, for the metro (line 6). The concept here is the same as with the Pont Bir-Hakeim (see previous post) allowing a combination of metro and other traffic. In 1992 the bridge doubled in width, keeping the original general aspect. As mentioned earlier, different new activities in this part of the city led to highly increased need of river passages. This included of course some features from the 80’s and 90's that we can see in the immediate neighbourhood of the bridge – the Ministry of Finance (leaving a wing of the Louvre for this modern complex), a new multi–sport arena also used for concerts, both mostly just called “Bercy”, a new building for the National Library (Bibliothèque François Mitterrand)... and a lot more, on both sides of the river. The picture on the top shows you the Pont de Bercy and the Ministry of Finance.
You can find these photos "in full" and as a slide show on Ipernity.
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