Pont de Vieille-Brioude

Vieille-Brioude

Vieille-Brioude is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France.-Geography:The Senouire forms part of the commune's north-eastern border, then flows into the Allier, which flows northward through the commune....

(Vieille-Brioude Bridge) is located in 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...

, crossing Allier River

Allier River

The Allier is a river in central France, and is the left tributary to the Loire River. Its source is in the Massif Central, in the Lozère département, east of Mende. It flows generally north...

. It is a masonry arch bridge with a span of 45 metres (148 ft) that was built in 1832.

The predecessor of this bridge on the same site was probably built 1479 and had a span of 54 metres (177 ft) making it the longest existing arch span for some three hundred years. The bridge was ordered by local resident Lady de Dombes and built by Grenier and Estone similar to how Pont Grand (Tournon-sur-Rhône)

Pont Grand (Tournon-sur-Rhône)

The Pont Grand is a stone bridge connecting Tournon-sur-Rhône to Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, in Ardèche, France, built between 1379 and 1583. The bridge features a single, semi-circular arch over the river Doux with a span of 49.20 m...

 was later built. The completion of the bridge was delayed for years because of some controversy. The bridge was too narrow and its approaches too steep to be used by cart

Cart

A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...

s. It collapsed March 27 1822 at 6 am.

Before any stone bridge had been built on this site there was a wooden bridge.

See also

• List of medieval bridges in France

Other very large medieval bridges

• Puente del Diablo (Martorell)
  Puente del Diablo (Martorell)
  The Pont del Diable is a medieval bridge crossing the river Llobregat in Martorell-Castellbisbal, Catalonia, Spain. The present bridge, featuring a large pointed arch, was constructed in 1283 on Roman foundations. The main clear span is an impressive 37.3 m with a stone chapel on top. A...
  
   (37.3 m span)
• Ponte della Maddalena
  Ponte della Maddalena
  Ponte della Maddalena is a bridge crossing the Serchio river near the town of Borgo a Mozzano in the Italian province of Lucca...
  
   (37.8 m span)
• Puente de San Martín (Toledo)
  Puente de San Martín (Toledo)
  The Puente de San Martín is a medieval bridge across the river Tagus in Toledo, Spain. The bridge was constructed in the late 14th century by archbishop Pedro Tenorio to provide access to the old town from the west, complementing the older Puente de Alcántara linking to the east...
  
   (40 m span)
• Nyons Bridge
  Nyons Bridge
  The Nyons Bridge is a medieval bridge over the river Eygues in Nyons in southern France.The bridge was completed in 1407. It features a single span of 40.53 m, quite large for the standards of the day.- See also :*List of medieval bridges in France...
  
   (40.53 m span)
• Pont du Diable (Céret)
  Pont du Diable (Céret)
  The Pont du Diable or Pont Vieux is a medieval stone arch bridge at Céret, France, built between 1321 and 1341. Spanning the river Tech with an imposing single arch of 45.45 m span length, the Pont du Diable featured at the time of its construction the world's largest bridge arch.The apex of the...
  
   (45.45 m span)
• Castelvecchio Bridge
  Castelvecchio Bridge
  The Castelvecchio Bridge or Scaliger Bridge is a fortified bridge in Verona, northern Italy, over the Adige River...
  
   (48.70 m span)
• Pont Grand (Tournon-sur-Rhône)
  Pont Grand (Tournon-sur-Rhône)
  The Pont Grand is a stone bridge connecting Tournon-sur-Rhône to Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, in Ardèche, France, built between 1379 and 1583. The bridge features a single, semi-circular arch over the river Doux with a span of 49.20 m...
  
   (49.20 m span)
• Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge
  Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge
  The Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge or Trezzo Bridge was a medieval bridge at Trezzo sull'Adda in Lombardy, Italy, spanning the Adda river. Completed in 1377, the single arch bridge held the record for the largest span for over four hundred years, until the beginnings of the Industrial Age, while it was...
  
  (72 m span)