Moulin sur Cance bridge

The bridge, listed as a Historic Monument and restored to its original condition in 2013, is one of the last remaining structures to showcase the ingenuity of inventor Marc Seguin.
The project to restore the suspension bridge at Moulin sur Cance was initiated in 2004 by the Syndicat des Trois Rivières. As well as preserving and enhancing the ‘Seguin’ heritage, this restoration project will also showcase the former industrial site of Moulin sur Cance, which specialised in the production and processing of silk, as well as highlighting the environment of the lower Cance valley, which is wild and remarkable, and part of a ZNIEFF (Zone d'Intérêt Ecologique Faunistique et Floristique).
The suspension bridge at Moulin sur Cance, built between 1863 and 1865, is an authentic and rare example of the techniques developed by Marc Seguin. Today, it is the only known structure still using the parallel wire technique, and has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1981.
The bridge is 20 metres long and comprises 4 main sections:
The deck: the deck is made up of sleepers and two floors. Two guardrails are installed on the deck, acting as stiffening beams to reduce the effects of undulation. The entire structure is made of oak.
The masonry: imposing, the masonry is essentially made of stone. It is designed to fully integrate the passage and fixing of the cables.
The cables: four cables support the entire structure, two on each side. Each cable is over 38 metres long and weighs 256 kg. They are made of parallel soft iron wire. The principle lies in the fact that each cable is made up of a single wire that is repeated 100 times. These wires are held together by ligatures. The cables are anchored in the bridge piers by metal cylinders embedded in the masonry.
Hangers: Hangers use the same principle as cables, but are made up of fewer strands of wire. They split in two at the ends. The top loop is held to the cables by a ‘double stirrup’ and the bottom loop supports the crosspieces.