Too low for buses and trucks, a railway bridge becomes famous for its recesses

“Seven days without eating anything…” The moderator of the Facebook page dedicated to the Pont de la Fonderie, in Mulhouse, has nothing more to eat these days. No more photos of vehicles stuck under the famous structure! “So much the better, it may be that it begins to be known and that I was not used for anything”, laughs the person, who prefers to remain anonymous.

This inhabitant of the capital of Haut-Rhin embarked at the beginning of September in this adventure “above all humorous and really to underline that there is a problem”. “There is nothing political in my publications, I assume my second degree,” he says again, he who has seen accidents multiply for years “not under the skirt but under the kilt” from now on. famous bridge.

“This bridge is out of gauge but not out of the law”

The latter never caused a fatal accident, but dozens of vehicles damaged a piece of their roof. Including a school bus, in early October. Why ? Because the work, which supports a railway line and belongs to the SNCF, is located 2.70 meters above sea level. Or much lower than the vast majority of its (big) brothers.

“Today, we do not build below 4.30 meters. This means that this bridge is outside the gauge but not outside the law, ”confirms Claudine Boni Da Silva. The municipal assistant in charge of roads in Mulhouse assures us: the file has been known for years by the team of the mayor Michèle Lutz. “As early as 2018, a request to stop trains had been requested from SNCF so that work could take place. And last April, we voted again to fund pre-project studies. “

The signage that will be installed by the end of October. – Mulhouse town hall

These are currently being carried out and should make it possible to define a project scheduled for 2024 and estimated at nearly 3 million euros. It will consist in digging the roadway, in order to leave 4.30 m between the asphalt and the bottom of the structure. “It will cost around 1.5 million euros for the track and 1.2 million for the bridge piers. Knowing that engineers must determine whether to adapt to meet earthquake standards. In this case, SNCF will have to participate. “

In the meantime, the company and the town hall agreed last Thursday on the installation of new signage which will be placed next week on the skirt of the Coubertin bridge, its official name. On both sides. “It will be doubled by panels with shocking images”, specifies the assistant. “And in January, templates, such as barriers which are installed high on the car parks, will be installed”, adds the SNCF. The hunger strike could last for the bridge …

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