Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir


The Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir is a bridge solely for pedestrians and cyclists across the Seine River in Paris. It is the 37th bridge on the Seine in Paris. It is located between the bridges of Pont de Bercy and Pont de Tolbiac and links up the 12th and 13th arrondissements of Paris. Its nearest Paris Metro station is Quai de la Gare.

History

The central span of the bridge is made of steel, weighs, is long and wide. The span was constructed by the Eiffel company in the Alsace and was transported by canal, the North Sea, the English Channel and French rivers to its destination, crossing Paris on a barge on 30 November 2005. It was hoisted in place in two hours on 29 January 2006, around three o'clock in the morning. The passerelle is characteristic of its time and distinguishes itself from the three other footbridges that already cross the Seine in Paris. The geometry of its members reduces shearing. This is a lens-shaped structure. The rotational anchorage on its supports brings its structural height back down to the different levels of the quais at either end. Its five crossings pass over the river without supports in water. It rejoins the streets on the high bank, on the Rive Gauche, and directly into the parc de Bercy on the Rive Droite. It has double supports on the lower banks. A protected area mid-way at the central lens allows pedestrians to shelter from rain.
In March 2005, Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris, proposed naming it "Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir" and inaugurated the bridge on 13 July 2006, with de Beauvoir's adoptive daughter Sylvie Le Bon-de Beauvoir in attendance.

Timeline

  • September 2004: network deviation
  • October 2004: foundations laid
  • 2005 - 2006: links set up one by one
  • June 2006: dynamic and static works
  • July 2006: inaugurated and opened to the public