Orb Aqueduct
Encyclopedia
The Orb Aqueduct is a bridge which carries the Canal du Midi
over the Orb River
in the city of Béziers
in Languedoc
, France
. The aqueduct
is 28 metres (91.9 ft) wide, 12 metres (39.4 ft) tall and at 240 metres (787.4 ft) is the longest on the Canal du Midi.
Prior to the opening of the aqueduct in 1858, the Canal du Midi traversed a short section of the Orb itself. The opening of the aqueduct
allowed boats to avoid the sometimes dangerous and unpredictable river which often caused extended delays - in 1779 exceptional floods caused the river section to be impassable for seventeen days. Various schemes were proposed to bypass the Orb; an aqueduct of over 1 km in length was proposed in 1739 and in 1756 a plan to carry the canal in a tunnel under the Orb was put forward. However, neither proposal was implemented.
In April 1854, the Chief Engineer of the Canal Company, M. Magues, prepared designs for the present aqueduct together with new channels to take the canal from the side of the seventh and second lowest chamber of the Fonserannes Lock, across the Orb and to rejoin the original course of the Midi. The plans involved the construction of two new locks, Orb Lock and Béziers Lock, as well as a canal basin to the east of the Orb. Permission for the new works was granted by a decree of Emperor Napoleon III
in June 1854 and the construction was completed by May 1856 and opened for use in 1858.
The aqueduct is built of stone with seven spans and carries the canal in a masonry trough sealed with a layer of concrete. There are towpath
s on each side of the waterway and underneath are two arcaded
walkways. The walkways are now not accessible except for maintenance. The concrete seal was replaced in 1951 but otherwise the original structure is intact.
's original course dropping down the Fonserannes Staircase, through the Notre Dame Lock, entering the Orb and leaving again a few hundred metres downstream. Magues' scheme created a new aqueduct cut leaving the canal from the seventh chamber of the Fonserannes staircase, and leaving the eighth chamber and the Notre Dame Lock unused. The new cut crosses the Orb on the aqueduct, drops in to the new Béziers canal basin through Orb Lock and then drops to the level of the original cut through Béziers Lock.
Canal du Midi
The is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
over the Orb River
Orb River
The Orb is a 145 km long river in the Herault département of Southern France that flows into the Mediterranean Sea, in Valras-Plage. The river flows through the towns Bédarieux and Béziers, where it is crossed by the canal du Midi on the Orb Aqueduct. In ancient times, the Orb was crossed at...
in the city of Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
in Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
is 28 metres (91.9 ft) wide, 12 metres (39.4 ft) tall and at 240 metres (787.4 ft) is the longest on the Canal du Midi.
Prior to the opening of the aqueduct in 1858, the Canal du Midi traversed a short section of the Orb itself. The opening of the aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
allowed boats to avoid the sometimes dangerous and unpredictable river which often caused extended delays - in 1779 exceptional floods caused the river section to be impassable for seventeen days. Various schemes were proposed to bypass the Orb; an aqueduct of over 1 km in length was proposed in 1739 and in 1756 a plan to carry the canal in a tunnel under the Orb was put forward. However, neither proposal was implemented.
In April 1854, the Chief Engineer of the Canal Company, M. Magues, prepared designs for the present aqueduct together with new channels to take the canal from the side of the seventh and second lowest chamber of the Fonserannes Lock, across the Orb and to rejoin the original course of the Midi. The plans involved the construction of two new locks, Orb Lock and Béziers Lock, as well as a canal basin to the east of the Orb. Permission for the new works was granted by a decree of Emperor Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
in June 1854 and the construction was completed by May 1856 and opened for use in 1858.
The aqueduct is built of stone with seven spans and carries the canal in a masonry trough sealed with a layer of concrete. There are towpath
Towpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
s on each side of the waterway and underneath are two arcaded
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
walkways. The walkways are now not accessible except for maintenance. The concrete seal was replaced in 1951 but otherwise the original structure is intact.
Topography
The map shows RiquetPierre-Paul Riquet
Pierre-Paul Riquet was the engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi.-Background:...
's original course dropping down the Fonserannes Staircase, through the Notre Dame Lock, entering the Orb and leaving again a few hundred metres downstream. Magues' scheme created a new aqueduct cut leaving the canal from the seventh chamber of the Fonserannes staircase, and leaving the eighth chamber and the Notre Dame Lock unused. The new cut crosses the Orb on the aqueduct, drops in to the new Béziers canal basin through Orb Lock and then drops to the level of the original cut through Béziers Lock.