The Pont de l'Alma ( en, Alma Bridge) is a road bridge in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, across the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...

. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

, in which the Ottoman-Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian army, on 20 September 1854. The bridge is also known for being the site of a car crash that caused the

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

and Dodi Fayed.

History

Construction

Construction of an

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

took place between 1854 and 1856. It was designed by

Paul-Martin Gallocher de Lagalisserie Paul-Martin Gallocher de Lagalisserie (29 May 1805, Place Dauphine, Paris – 5 August 1871, Balbins, Isère) was a French engineer. He was the son of Martin Pierre Gallocher de Lagalisserie and Marie Delphine Théodore Ménager. Notable proje ...

and was inaugurated by

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

on 2 April 1856. Each side of both of the two

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

was decorated with a statue of military nature: a

Zouave The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among the most decorated unit ...

and a

grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...

by Georges Diébolt, and a skirmisher and an artilleryman by Arnaud.

''The Zouave'' statue and flooding

The general public took the original bridge as a measuring instrument for water levels in times of flooding on the Seine: access to the footpaths by the river embankments usually was closed when the Seine's level reached the feet of ''The Zouave''; when the water hit his thighs, the river was unnavigable. During the great flood of the Seine in 1910, the level reached his shoulders. The French Civil Service used the

Pont de la Tournelle The (''Tournelle Bridge'' in English), is an arch bridge spanning the river Seine in Paris. History The location of the is the site of successive structures. The first, a wooden bridge, was built in 1620. This bridge connected the Eastern ba ...

, not the Pont de l'Alma, to gauge flood levels, and since 1868 uses the

Pont d'Austerlitz The Pont d'Austerlitz is a bridge which crosses the Seine River in Paris, France. It owes its name to the battle of Austerlitz (1805). Location The bridge links the 12th arrondissement at the rue Ledru-Rollin, to the 5th and 13th arrondissements ...

Reconstruction

The bridge underwent complete reconstruction as a

girder bridge A girder bridge is a bridge that uses girders as the means of supporting its deck. The two most common types of modern steel girder bridges are plate and box. The term "girder" is often used interchangeably with "beam" in reference to bridge de ...

between 1970 and 1974, as it had been too narrow to accommodate the increasing traffic both on and below it; moreover, the structure had subsided some 80 centimeters. Only the statue of the Zouave was retained: the Skirmisher was relocated to the Gravelle Stronghold in Vincennes, the Grenadier to

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

, and the Artilleryman to La Fère.

Death of Diana, Princess of Wales

The bridge is close to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel where

, and three others were involved in a fatal car crash on 31 August 1997. They were being chased by

paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

, and their chauffeur was driving under the influence of alcohol. The '' Flame of Liberty'' (completed in 1987), at the bridge's north end has become an unofficial memorial to Diana. The square is now officially named Place Diana. The tunnel is known as an accident black spot from 1982 to 1997 as there were 11 deaths in the area.

Technical specifications

Pont de l'Alma has a length of 153 meters (502 ft) and a width of 42 meters (138 ft).

Access

The

Metro station A metro station or subway station is a station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase Train ticket, tickets, board trains, and Emergency eva ...

Alma - Marceau is near the north end of the bridge, RER station

Pont de l'Alma The Pont de l'Alma ( en, Alma Bridge) is a road bridge in Paris, France, across the Seine. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma during the Crimean War, in which the Ottoman-Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian army ...

near the south end.

References

External links

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Pictures of the old and the new bridge
*
Bridge history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alma Bridges over the River Seine in Paris Bridges completed in 1856 Bridges completed in 1974 Buildings and structures in the 7th arrondissement of Paris Buildings and structures in the 8th arrondissement of Paris 1856 establishments in France Diana, Princess of Wales