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On the occasion of the centenary of the death of Gustave Eiffel, we traveled to the department of Cantal to see an almost unknown masterpiece of the French engineer: the Garabit Viaduct. This bridge over the Truyere River is considered a technical and technological feat of the 19th century, and has been registered on the list of National Monuments.
The Garabit Viaduct was one of the most daring and complex metal bridges of its time. Its construction is the work of two engineering geniuses: the young Léon Boyer, who designed its layout, and Gustave Eiffel, who carried out the work using padded iron, the same material with which he made his famous Paris tower.
More than 130 years after its inauguration, the Garabit Viaduct still stands and has become one of the tourist attractions of this largely rural territory in the central Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
The bridge is 565 meters long and rises to an altitude of 835 meters, in a volcanic region and over the gorges of the mighty Truyère River, which was of unsurpassed complexity. Several engineers had tried to design a bridge, without success. But a brilliant engineer found the solution, based on the design of the Maria Pia bridge executed by Eiffel years before in Porto. Boyer worked with Eiffel and they presented the project, which was approved by the authorities.
“The Garabit viaduct marked civil engineering at the end of the 19th century, not only in France but internationally, to the point that it became an example. It took a lot of poise and meant pushing engineering beyond the limits of knowledge and technique of its time. It was the time of the universal exhibitions in Paris, where the country’s companies and, among them, Gustave Eiffel, demonstrated French mastery,” historian Patricia Rochès, author of the book ‘El Viaducto de Garabit’, explained to Carrusel de las Artes. , Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece.
The viaduct was completed in 1884 and four years later the railway line was inaugurated. Since then it has not stopped operating, although currently only two trains pass per day.
“It was not designed to last more than 100 years. But it is a construction that has annual maintenance, and every three years a more detailed review is done to evaluate each piece,” added Rochès.
Heritage of the region
This majestic bridge is one of the region’s greatest attractions, and although it is much less known than the Eiffel Tower, many tourists come to visit it.
“The viaduct attracts many tourists. We do guided tours that start at the pillars of the bridge, where we explain the context in which Garabit was built. It was the industrial era and the development of the train. But in this territory it was very difficult to build railways. The construction of the viaduct by Léon Boyer and Gustave Eiffel made it possible to break the isolation of the region and connect it through the train,” said Alexandra Toccacieli, who is a professional guide.
A technological adventure in a rural territory
The Garabit Viaduct is a vestige of the railway epic undertaken in France at the end of the 19th century. Its construction, although quick, was complex and required tons of stone, granite and metal to be brought on site. This incredible story was rescued in the exhibition ‘The Giant of Truyère’, organized by the Margeride Ecomuseum.
“The construction of the viaduct required more than 400 workers, who worked for four years in that lost place. One of the main problems was bringing the materials. The metal parts were forged in Gustave Eiffel’s workshops in the Paris region. They arrived by train to the nearest station, which was 34 kilometers to the north. The stone came from the south. These materials arrived at the site in carts pulled by oxen and horses. They were processions of metal and stone that crossed small towns until they reached Garabit,” explained Raphaëlle Julien from the Margeride Ecomuseum.
The exhibition explains the different stages of construction and displays the tools that were used at the time. One of the key dates was April 24, 1884, when the two sides of the arch were united in its highest part.
“It is very important to tell this story to new generations. The local population is very attached to this viaduct, which appears on the List of National Monuments. It is not only a railway track, but also an engineering masterpiece. It is our heritage and we can be proud to have a work like this in the heart of the Massif Central,” said Julien.
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