It is one of the main access points to the Île de la Cité and inevitably, a few days before the reopening of Notre-Dame, its deviation is of concern. The Chaussée du Pont-Neuf in Paris (I) is partially inaccessible until the end of December. The cause was a subsidence of the paving stones caused by recent bad weather, which required the closure, on November 4, of traffic going from the south to the north of the bridge.
Since the damage was identified, work has taken place and a large slab of tar has replaced several square meters of paving stones on the building completed in 1607, which crosses the Seine to reach the western tip of the Île de la Cité. And which is, despite what its name suggests, the oldest bridge in the capital.
According to the municipality, the “regular maintenance” of the bridge by its road services did not prevent the loosening of several paving stones, caused by the heavy rains. Some residents had spotted these infiltrations, particularly at the equestrian statue of Henri IV, opposite Place Dauphine. “We had been seeing the paving stones move apart and holes create for months,” describes Françoise, a resident of the neighborhood.
Worried, she alerted the police headquarters at the beginning of November. “They intervened very quickly and after observing the damage, were able to secure the scene and stop traffic,” said the resident.
“The structure of the bridge is not damaged”
No need to worry though, “the Pont-Neuf is solid”, assure the teams from the municipality of Paris Center. “This type of road subsidence happens every day in Paris. The fact that it is located on a bridge may seem more impressive but it is a phenomenon encountered daily in the capital, often linked to heavy rains”, indicates the town hall, which specifies that “the rest of the bridge presents absolutely no danger “.
While a temporary bitumen right-of-way was poured on the roadway last week to close the hole during construction, it will be necessary to wait until the end of December, around the 20th, for the repaving work to be completed. The classification of the Pont-Neuf as a historic monument and UNESCO heritage does not pose any difficulty either, certifies the town hall which estimates the repair to cost a few thousand euros. “The structure of the bridge is not damaged, only the paving stones need to be redone,” specifies the mayor's teams.
In the meantime, local residents are having difficulty getting around since the three bus lines (27, 58, 70) which usually use the bridge have been diverted. “It’s a real hassle. We are in an isolated area with no supermarket nearby. Normally I always take the bus to go shopping at Monoprix further away. There, I have to do everything on foot,” laments Françoise, who will have to be patient for a few more weeks.
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