The Pont de Bonpas is a bridge over the Durance river, connecting the south of

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and ...

in southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. The initial stone bridge was constructed between 1189 and 1199, which was destroyed by a 1272 flood. Reconstruction was attempted in 1316 but ultimately failed, and a new bridge was not completed until 1812. This was later damaged by flood and a suspension bridge opened in 1894, but was destroyed in 1944. The current bridge was constructed in 1954 and is long with twelve arches.

History

Prior to the construction of a bridge to cross the Durance river, there is evidence that a

reaction ferry A reaction ferry is a cable ferry that uses the reaction of the current of a river against a fixed tether to propel the vessel across the water. Such ferries operate faster and more effectively in rivers with strong currents. Some reaction ferri ...

was used from 1166. Religious organisation the Bridge-Building Brotherhood were involved in bridge construction, road repairs, and a variety of other tasks. They began constructing a bridge whilst providing housing for foreigners beside the Durance river, and later completed a stone bridge; it was constructed between 1189 and 1199. In 1270

Alphonse, Count of Poitiers Alphonse or Alfonso (11 November 122021 August 1271) was the count of Poitou from 1225 and count of Toulouse (as such called Alphonse II) from 1249. As count of Toulouse, he also governed the Marquisate of Provence. Birth and early life Born at P ...

granted the Bridge-Building Brotherhood the rights over the bridge over the Durance and confirmed their fiefs, rights and jurisdictions they had in the counties of Venaissin and Toulouse. It was destroyed by a flood in 1272. In 1316 the construction of a new bridge using stones from the old bridge was authorized but failed in 1320. In 1804 plans to construct a new wooden bridge were made and a bridge with forty-seven spans opened in 1812. Nine spans were damaged in an 1886 flood and it became a footbridge. A new suspension bridge opened in 1894 with a length of . In 1944 bridge was bombed by the 1st FG on 17 August with 5 x near misses, no damage to the structure. During the Nazi German retreat from France, Hitler's forces destroyed the suspension bridge. In 1954 a new bridge was completed to allow river crossings, consisting of 12 arches supporting the structure.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonpas Bridges in France Bouches-du-Rhône Vaucluse