Viaduc des ‟Noëls Bridge‟ Extension

Blois, France

The 'Belvédère des Noëls' is a historical trace that extends the memory of the railway viaduct by a discrete line recreating a perspective on the Loire. It allows the RD951 to be crossed in complete safety, and extends the horizontal line of the Noëls viaduct as far as the existing vestige to create a space for contemplation. It is a simple connection, based on the rhythm of the 12m spans of the arches of the viaduct and which resonates with the geometry of the stone. The cornice of the viaduct is extended and leaves a horizontal trace and suggests a continuity of the past work. The bridge ends on a vestige and allows an opening onto the Loire. The structure once again creates a unique perspective to "show" the changing nature of the Loire landscape. All of the load-bearing elements are made up of steel profiles with improved resistance to atmospheric corrosion, known as self-smoothing (Corten type or equivalent). The belvedere is made up of a main steel structure of approximately 40T. It is composed of 6 continuous spans of 12m each. The last span has an intermediate support on the existing pier and ends in a cantilevered position over the last 5 metres. The belvedere forms a footbridge with a total length of 72m.