Faced with the development of the railway and the urbanization of Salzinnes, these two constructions will be joined by new road and railway bridges. And the growth in the car fleet and traffic will further accentuate this urban development…
This long and sometimes complex history of Namur bridges is at the heart of Jacky Marchal’s latest work, published by the non-profit organization Les Amis de la Citadelle. With more than 400 illustrations mainly from his collection, the author retraces this saga punctuated by clashes between local administrations and state authorities. “I was surprised by the slowness of political decisions“, confides the author.
Endless adventures
Like the supposed slowness of the Namurois, the bridges of the Cité du Bia Bouquet did not particularly shine with their speed of execution. The Pont de France underwent numerous projects without follow-up, before its construction from 1930. Twenty-five years earlier, the architect Georges Hobé and the engineer Emile Jacquemin were already working on a monumental version lowered at the confluence, comprising three reinforced concrete arches. This ambitious project will remain a dead letter in the same way as that planned by the State and the City in 1907. Alderman Golenvaux’s proposal, justifying the need for a bridge connecting the city center, will also fall into oblivion with the start of the First World War…
The Salzinnes footbridge project, connecting the suburb with Namur, will prove to be just as complex. The first proposal dates from February 18, 1872, followed by the idea of a local resident, Mr. Divoy, who wanted a passage between the future rue Henri Lemaître and the arsenal. These efforts remaining in vain with the municipal council, a petition then a call for crowdfunding will force the City to review its copy. The work was finally inaugurated on July 14, 1906, five months after the start of work.
A careful investigation
To understand the genesis of these bridges, footbridges and remains of the fortifications, Jacky Marchal began intensive excavations in period newspapers. “The press articles from the periods concerned went into detail, with the intervention of politicians, the reactions provoked, etc.“, comments this history buff.
The book includes some documents from regional archives as well as photographs by Christian Delwiche.
