PONT-CANAL
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A bridge-canal built to ensure continuity between the two main cities in western Normandy, Caen and Cherbourg.
Inaugurated on June 6, 1994, during the D-Day celebrations, the project was simple: to divert Carentan by a 2x2 lane motorway, in order to ensure motorway continuity between the two main towns in western Normandy, Caen and Cherbourg. Here, there were two possibilities: the longer one was to bypass the town to the south and west, and the much more direct second to the east. The only problem was that the route had to pass under the canal linking Carentan to the sea, in a marshy area! However, the latter project was chosen. 615 m long and 4.85 m high, it is defined by three zones. Two open-trench access zones, and the 85 m long Canal Bridge itself, located under the canal, allowing 4-lane traffic with a 4.85 m high gauge. The lowest point of the structure is 10 m below canal level. A permanent pumping and drainage system evacuates the water to the outside. The project required over 300,000 man-hours spread over 22 months, in 2 and 3 shifts, in order to meet the deadline. A feat that can be admired in two ways: by driving under the canal bridge (but be careful not to slow down too much) or by walking along the canal, higher up! Time saved: almost 20 minutes compared with the old route.
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