Pont suspendu de Saint-Symphorien

About

The Saint-Symphorien Bridge (or Bridge de fil) is a pedestrian and cycle suspension bridge crossing the Loire at Tours, built from 1845 to 1847 by the Seguin brothers, substantially at the location of the old medieval bridge of Tours.

History: A royal decree of 22 March 1841 decided on its construction. His design and realization, four years later, were based on the invention of architect-engineer Marc Seguin, who had also established the preliminary project in 1838. Following studies on the traction of metal cables in 1822, it created a new type of suspended bridge, the first of which was inaugurated in 1825. The invention is based on the use of metallic wire ropes of "fine wires" on large works, simpler and twice as resistant (in mm2) than the chains (links) of Anglo-American invention or the iron bars, used until then. The erection of the Saint-Symphorian bridge also responds to the general principle adopted by the Compagnie Seguin which consisted, on the basis of this invention, of financing the construction of bridges, authorized by a law (often inspired by the same Marc Seguin and brothers), then to pay itself...