Installation of the central span of the Jacques Chaban-Delmas Bridge

27 December 2012 - Events - France

In Bordeaux (west of France), the central span of the Bacalan-Bastide movable bridge, now to be known as the Jacques Chaban-Delmas Bridge, was installed on 23 October 2012 on its arrival by barge from Italy. This central lifting span, 117 m in length and weighing 2,500 t, will move alongside the four pylons (some 80 m in height), providing a clearance of 53 m. The next stages of the works will involve linking the lifting span to the operating mechanisms, carrying out the external works around the bridge and, finally, testing and final adjustments to the lifting system prior to bringing the structure into service in March 2013.

Worth €156m, this lift bridge project to link the city's Bacalan (left bank) and Bastide (right bank) neighbourhoods is being implemented on a design-build basis by GTM Sud-Ouest TP GC, leader, GTM Sud (VINCI Construction France subsidiaries) and Dodin Campenon Bernard (VINCI Construction), with Cimolaï for the steel structure and EGIS/JMI in association with Michel Virlogeux, architecture and engineering structures, and Hardesty & Hanover on the design side. SDI, a subsidiary of DEME (CFE/VINCI Construction) was responsible for preparing the river-bed. VINCI Energies France business units also participated in the project.