Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge is a bridge built between 1898 and 1900 (27 months). It is located in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Crossing the Charente River, it has a maximum height of 66.5 metres and a total length of 175.5 metres. It is a technical invention accomplished by a French engineer: Ferdinand Arnodin.
History
8 July 1900 – First day of service
1933 — 1934 – Deck beams and suspension replaced and modified.
1967 – End of service. The transporter bridge is abandoned in favor of a vertical lift bridge.
30 April 1976 – Classified as historic monument.
1990 — 1994 – Refurbished.
29th July 2020 (120th year anniversary) – back to service
Opening hours
Open everyday (except monday morning) from 29th of July the 1st of November.
From July to September : 9.30 -19.00 (closed on Monday mornings)
October to the 1st of November : 9.30 -12.30 and 14.00 -17.00 (closed on Monday mornings)
Tariffs
One-way ticket: 2 €
Return ticket: 3 €
Reduced rates* (return ticket and groups up to 15 people): 2.50 €
Children from 6 to 11: 2 €
Free for children under 6
Worldwide Transport Bridges Network
There are currently 8 transport bridges in the world:
Vizcaya Bridge (1893) near Bilbao in Spain,
Newport Transport Bridge (1906) in the United Kingdom,
Transport bridge Osten Transporter Bridge (1909) in Germany,
Middlesbrough Transporter bridge (1911) in the United Kingdom,
Rendsburg High Bridge (1913) in Germany,
Puente Transbordador (also known as Buenos Aires Transporter Bridge, 1914) in Buenos Aires in Argentina,
Warrington Transporter Bridge (1916) in the United Kingdom.
There is a general strategy for listing all eight monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
