Choisy-le-Roi bridge by Jacques Ferrier

Architects: Jacques Ferrier Architectures
Location: Choisy-le-Roi, France
Project Manager: Stéphane Vigoureux
Project Team: Katrin Wagner (project leader), Corentin Lespagnol (image conception), Léa Duverge, Harold Chaveneau
Client: Sadev94
Budget: 6.1 M Euros
Project Year: 2008-2010
Photographs: © Jacques Ferrier Architectures / photo Luc Boegly

The new Choisy-le-Roi bridge crosses the RER C suburban express railway lines serving passenger traffic to and from the southern Paris region. The 70 m long bridge has a traffic lane in each direction contained within wide footpaths to either side. Connecting the recently rehabilitated Port district with its housing, amenities, offices and Imprimerie Nationale workshops as well as Avenue Anatole France to the town centre, the bridge is an essential element in guaranteeing the success of this new district which, until now, has been cut off from the city due to its location between the railway lines and the River Seine.

The need for uninterrupted traffic flow – with the exception of a two hour break at night – represented the point of departure for the project’s technical and architectural design. It resulted in the bridge being designed as a straight double beam preassembled on one side of the railway lines which was then pushed out over the tracks in two operations, a solution that ensured that the overall span did not require any intermediate supports.