Ah, the golden 60s… When it was all about the car, queen of the world and concrete… It is thanks to this mindset that a somewhat crazy and excessive architectural project saw the light of day in Thuin in the 1970s: the viaduct!
Three years of works, 3000 m3 of concrete, 700 tons of iron and 75 million Belgian francs for this colossus measuring 248 metres in length, with four traffic lanes at the outset! Eight of its 10 pillars are mobile to allow the bridge to move as the result of expansion, which can reach up to 10 centimetres. A real motorway whose double s-shaped curve makes it a true architectural feat. In fact, it was the only technical solution for a bridge this size and such a steep-sided valley. To such a point that this work of art still features in specialised journals worldwide.
Its appearance radically transformed the landscape of the Ville Basse, spelling the end of the old bascule bridge, bringing about the demolition of half the houses in Rue du Pont and separating the neighbourhood from the station. Today, this concrete giant is part of the inhabitants everyday lives, allowing them to observe their peaceful river at leisure: the Sambre…
Martin Jeanmart.
