Souleuvre Viaduct

Souleuvre Viaduct
Souleuvre Viaduct
	Le viaduc de la Souleuvre
Coordinates	48°57′06″N 0°51′52″W / 48.95154°N 0.864475°W
Carries	Caen to Saint-Lô and Vire line
Locale	La Ferrière-Harang, Normandy, France
Official name	Le viaduc de la Souleuvre
Characteristics
Material	Metallic
History
Designer	Gustave Eiffel
Construction end	November 12, 1893
Closed	1960
Location

Viaduc de la Souleuvre is a partially demolished railway viaduct over the Souleuvre River in La Ferrière-Harang, Normandy, France, and is now used for bungee jumping. 48°57′3.72″N 00°51′50.29″W / 48.9510333°N 0.8639694°W / 48.9510333; -0.8639694

History

Built by French engineer Gustave Eiffel for the Caen to Saint-Lô and Vire line, the Viaduc de la Souleuvre opened November 12, 1893. The total length of the viaduct was 364.20 m (1,200 ft), had a maximum height of 62.50 m (210 ft) and was set on five stone pillars. The height of these pillars varies between 26 m and 60 m, their bases are 18 m by 8 m and their tops are 7 m by 4 m. They were built with granite blocks from the Vire region quarries, each of a weight of 350 kg, and with mortar sand from the Chausey Islands, totaling 14000 m³.

Before World War II, about 15 trains a day crossed the viaduct. It was used by the Germans during the War. The Allied Forces tried to destroy the viaduct in 1944, but only managed to partially damage it. More than 500 bombs were dropped around it without hitting it. In August 1944, the viaduct was repaired by the Americans.

When the rail line closed in 1960, the viaduct went into disrepair. Despite large local preservationist opinion campaigns, the railway platform was demolished in 1970. Only the five large stone pillars remain.

Bungee jumping

In 1990, a permanent platform for bungee jumping was established by A. J. Hackett atop the highest pillar. A light gangway was established where the railway platform used to be, allowing access to the platform from the side of the bridge.