The Port of Caen-Ouistreham has begun work to replace the Colombelles bridge, whose service interruptions were harming traffic to the terminals.
This link is vital between the west and east of the Caen metropolitan area and supports a daily traffic of 18 thousand vehicles, of which 7% are trucks, a volume it can no longer handle. Signs of deterioration have appeared, which has led to a ban on vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. Breakdowns are frequent and cause significant traffic disruptions.
The bridge will be replaced by a new structure, which will constitute the first link between the new district of the Hérouville peninsula and the historic center and will allow for the safe coexistence of different uses (pedestrians, bicycles, and road traffic) while ensuring efficient management of maritime traffic in the canal.
From a maritime point of view, the new bridge will be similar to the existing one, a swing bridge, whose operations will be controlled by the remote control system for the structures of the Ports of Normandy.
The design will provide a 40-meter wide navigation channel, which will allow the passage of all types of vessels capable of passing through the Ouistreham locks. The clearance under the bridge will be 4.5 meters, which will ensure the passage of recreational activities, such as rowing, or future river transport services, without the need to operate the bridge.
The new bridge will feature a two-lane, dual-carriageway for vehicles, each 3.25 meters wide; a pedestrian sidewalk accessible to people with reduced mobility of 1.40 meters and a bidirectional cycle path with a width of three meters.
