A Warren-type rail bridge with a 145m main span, believed to be the longest of its kind in Europe, and a height of 16.5m was launched in February using a combination of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) and a pulley system. The Pont des Cathédrales was installed at a major railway junction in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, which handles over 1,400 national and international trains and serves 1.6 million passengers daily.
French railway operator SNCF Réseau commissioned the new bridge to replace a wrought iron structure from 1894 as part of a rail modernisation project. The upgrade will allow train speeds to increase from 60 km/h to 90 km/h and will realign tracks to support a new direct service from central Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport. The design and construction are being handled by a consortium led by Eiffage Génie Civil, along with Eiffage Métal and NGE GC.
The steel superstructure was fabricated at Eiffage Métal’s Lauterbourg factory and delivered to the site in segments for assembly. Four lines of SPMTs moved the truss at 15m/h to a temporary support area, where it was positioned using a pulley system with over 2km of cable and 200t winches. The launch was completed during a single weekend track closure, with final jacking onto permanent bearings done the following weekend. Bd&e subscribers can read a detailed accound of the project here or in Bd&e issue 119.
Finishing works are now under way, and the bridge is set to open in August 2025.
