The Pont de Bir-Hakeim (English: Bridge of Bir-Hakeim), formerly the Pont de Passy (Bridge of Passy), is a

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...

that crosses the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributa ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. It connects the 15th and

16th arrondissement The 16th arrondissement of Paris (''XVIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''seizième''. The arrondissement includes part of the Arc de Tr ...

, passing through the

Île aux Cygnes Île aux Cygnes (; en, Isle of the Swans) is a small artificial island on the river Seine in Paris, France, in the 15th arrondissement. It was created in 1827 to protect the bridge named the pont de Grenelle. It should not be confused with an ...

. The bridge, made of

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

, is the second to have stood at the site. It was constructed between 1903 and 1905, replacing an earlier bridge that had been erected in 1878. An

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

, it is 237 metres (777 ft) long and 24.7 metres (81 ft) wide. It was designed by the architect Jean-Camille Formigé, who also designed the Viaduc d'Austerlitz, the Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil, as well as the park below the Sacré-Cœur; he also restored the Roman amphitheatre in

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province ...

and the Roman theatre in

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

Structure

The bridge has two levels: one for

motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of people or cargo. The ...

s and

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...

s, the other being a

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...

(Viaduc de Passy) built above the first one, through which passes Line 6 of the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

. The railway viaduct is supported by metal colonnades, except where it passes over the Île aux Cygnes, where it rests on a masonry arch. Many commemorative plates decorate the viaduct bridge, including several dedicated to soldiers fallen in Belgium during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. In addition, the central arch of the viaduct, at the level of the island, is decorated with four monumental stone statues in

high-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

: figures of ''Science'' and ''Labour'' by

Jules-Felix Coutan Jules-Félix Coutan (22 September 1848 – 23 February 1939) was a French sculptor and educator. Life As a student at the École des Beaux-Arts, Coutan was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1872; after his return to Paris he executed the ...

, ''Electricity'' and ''Commerce'' by

Jean Antoine Injalbert Jean-Antoine Injalbert (1845–1933) was a much-decorated French sculptor, born in Béziers. Life The son of a stonemason, Injalbert was a pupil of Augustin-Alexandre Dumont and won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1874. At the Exposition Uni ...

. The road level of the bridge extends out in a

belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa * Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco * Belvedere, Harare, Z ...

where it passes over the Île aux Cygnes which covers the eastern end of the island. Here stands a statue named ''La France renaissante''.

Name

Originally named the Pont de Passy (after the former

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Passy Passy () is an area of Paris, France, located in the 16th arrondissement, on the Right Bank. It is home to many of the city's wealthiest residents. Passy was a commune on the outskirts of Paris. In 1658, hot springs were discovered around wh ...

, which it reaches), it was renamed in 1948 to commemorate the

Battle of Bir Hakeim The Battle of Bir Hakeim () took place at Bir Hakeim, an oasis in the Libyan desert south and west of Tobruk, during the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The 1st Free French Brigade under Marie-Pierre Kœnig defended the position from ...

, fought by

Free French Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...

forces against the German

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

in 1942.

Popular culture

Many movies have featured the bridge, including ''

Rififi ''Rififi'' (french: Du rififi chez les hommes) is a 1955 French crime film adaptation of Auguste Le Breton's novel of the same name. Directed by American blacklisted filmmaker Jules Dassin, the film stars Jean Servais as the aging gangster Ton ...

'', ''

Ascenseur pour l'échafaud ''Elevator to the Gallows'' (french: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud), also known as ''Frantic'' in the U.S. and ''Lift to the Scaffold'' in the U.K., is a 1958 French crime thriller film directed by Louis Malle, starring Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ro ...

'', ''

Zazie dans le Métro Isabelle Marie Anne de Truchis de Varennes (born 18 April 1964), better known by her stage name Zazie, is a French singer-songwriter and former fashion model. Her greatest hits include "Je suis un homme", "À ma place" and " Speed". She co-produc ...

'', '' Last Tango in Paris'', ''

Peur sur la ville ''Fear Over the City'' (French: ''Peur sur la ville'') is a 1975 French crime film directed by Henri Verneuil and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo. It was the first time Belmondo played a police officer. It was released in the United States and the Un ...

'', '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets'' and ''

Inception ''Inception'' is a 2010 science fiction action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced the film with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infi ...

''. Inception (2010) - Filming Locations - IMDB
/ref> A music video for ''

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia. Due to her success and relevanc ...

s 10th anniversary single "''

Mirrorcle World "Mirrorcle World" is the forty-third physical single and forty-fourth single overall by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. The title track is an extended version of the song "Mirror," a two-minute introductory track on Hamasaki's ninth studio album, ...

''" was also filmed here.

Gallery

Image:Paris View from the Eiffel Tower third floor Ile aux Cygnes.jpg, The Pont de Bir-Hakeim'' is located at the northern tip of the

. File:Pont de Bir-Hakeim Paris15e 001.JPG, View of bridge from the Île aux Cygnes File:Pont de Bir-Hakeim Paris15e 002.JPG, The central arch with the statue ''La France renaissante'' of Holger Wederkinch File:Pont de Bir-Hakeim Paris15e 004.JPG, The iron sculptures of Gustave Michel File:Paris Métro Ligne 6 crossing the Pont de Bir-Hakeim 20140410 1.jpg, Métro Line 6 crossing the Seine on the Pont de Bir-Hakeim File:Viaduc de Passy - Paris - novembre 2005.jpg, Colonnade of the viaduct File:Viaduc de Passy.jpg, Street lights and colonnade

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bir Hakeim Bridges over the River Seine in Paris Bridges completed in 1905 1905 establishments in France

Structure

Name

Popular culture

Gallery

See also

References