The bridge is being built in order to prevent the build-up of sand around Mont Saint-Michel. Construction between the rocky island and the mainland began in February 2012. It will replace the old causeway, which impeded the currents of the Couesnon River and encouraged the deposit of sediments carried by the tides.
The steel structure was designed by the Dietmar Feichtinger to provide thinnest possible link between the abbey and the mainland.
The bridge is 756m long and varies in width between 10.9m and 17.2m. It carries both the road and a footpath.
The first 12m sections, which were manufactured at the Eiffage Construction Métallique Lauterbourg factory in Bas-Rhin were installed in June. At a rate of two per week, the structure will be completed by July 2013.
Eiffage Travaux Maritimes et Fluviaux (ETMF) is responsible for the concrete deck slabs, as well as the abutments at each end. The subsidiary is also building a wastewater pumping station and a fire-fighting reservoir.
