THE BLACKBIRD'S BRIDGE
The Merle Bridge, one of the first wooden frame bridges that replaced the suspension bridge built at the end of the century.
An original bridge dating from 1999 and a rarity in glulam. The Merle bridge and the Crest bridge over the Drôme are the first wood-frame bridges. In addition to the natural beauty of the wood and the harmony of the shapes, they have many qualities: the ability to span very long spans without the need for a support post, better mechanical resistance in relation to its weight, eight times greater than that of concrete, perfectly reliable over time (thanks to the improved quality of the glues) and exceptional fire stability. It has great architectural flexibility (in straight or curved shapes) and can be easily integrated with other materials, wood blending harmoniously with cinder block, stone and masonry. The Merle Bridge is unique in its kind, replacing the single-span suspension bridge built at the end of the 19th century. Here it crosses the Maronne River 30 m above its course. 250 tons of Douglas fir were used to build this structure.