Cubzac-les-Ponts, also referred to as Cubzac, is a commune of the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a region in southwestern France.nLocated 20 km northeast of Bordeaux, it is a crossing point of the river Dordogne. 

The first ferries crossing the Dordogne were flat-bottomed boats driven by oars or keelboats driven by a sail. The passage was very risky and accidents occurred, especially during high tides and storms. From 1754, a cable ferry crossed the 550 m wide river. The cable lay above the waters and stretched obliquely to the current. In 1821, the cable ferry was replaced by a two-part ferry powered by a carousel of twelve horses. The horses set in motion gears which in turn powered a large paddle wheel. In good weather, the crossing time was improved to 30–45 minutes, but in bad weather the trip remained uncertain.

The decision to establish a bridge in Cubzac is taken by Napoleon Bonaparte on 30 January 1812 and 3 February 1813. The bridge was originally to be completed in 1820. However, Cubzac's first bridge was a suspension bridge for which construction works started in 1834, under Louis-Philippe I. Works lasted four years, and public inauguration occurred on 17 August 1839 by the Duc and Duchesse of Orleans. The bridge had cost an estimated 3 million gold francs, was 545 m long and had 5 bays. Shortly after its construction, the pillars sank about one metre. During its 30 years of existence, it withstood storms despite the large amplitude oscillations caused. However, on 2 March 1869 a large storm, causing oscillations of more than two metres, partially destroyed the bridge and rendered it useless. Ancient methods to cross the Dordogne where reinstated. At first, barges and steamboats were used. Then, starting from October 1870, a large steam tub was used, measuring 21 m by 13 m. To cover the expensive construction costs, a toll was levied for the first 27 years.

There are nowadays 4 bridges: a road bridge (pont Gustave Eiffel), a railway bridge, a brdige for high speed trains and a highway bridge. This mod cover the first three bridges, the highway bridge being represented by the default model.

And yes, you can fly below the bridges!

-Pont Gustave Eiffel:  When the suspension bridge fell in 1869, the idea of a new bridge was discussed at length. In 1873, masonry works had started on the right bank. In 1879, Gustave Eiffel, who had waited more than ten years for a positive response to his project, took in hand the large undertaking in Cubzac, which finished in 1883. The Cubzac bridge is the most important roadwork by the Eiffel company. It necessitated 3284 tonnes of metal, measures 552 m, and is divided in eight bays. The parapet consists of iron braces rather than solid walls, alleviating the structure. The company manufacturing the iron pieces later provided those used for the Eiffel Tower.
As the Allies landed in Normandy, the German troupes, in their escape, partially destroyed the Eiffel bridge using explosives. The delicate repair works where operated by the company Anciens Ets Eiffel with the help of the Entreprise Générale Industrielle du Sud-Ouest, which coincidentally was directed by Jacques Eiffel, the grand son of Gustave Eiffel. For this reason, the bridge is sometimes called "the twice Eiffel bridge".
The bridge is now part of the Route nationale 10 which runs between Hendaye and Paris. Both viaducts to the bridge date from 1839 and each measures approximately 250 m. Over time, large settlements occurred, causing serious disturbances in the masonry and requiring the replacement of many vaults in 1880, 1903 and 1934.

-Railway bridge: The rail bridge was constructed by Lebrun, Dayde and Pile by the compagnie Deyle et Pillet. Its style resembles that of the adjacent Eiffel bridge. It was commissioned by the Chemins de Fer de l'État for the Chartres-Bordeaux line, and the construction lasted from 1884 to 1885. Inaugurated in 1886, it is 561,60 m long above the Dordogne are divided in eight bays. The rails are 21.80 m above the highest waters. The bridge is made of iron pillars fitted in braces. Despite being younger than the Eiffel bridge, the construction necessitated more funds and effort. The constructions hidden under water and earth make up the bulk of the value and volume of materials used. Foundations only total to 57,800 cubic meters. Even though less damaged than the Eiffel bridge, it also sustained damage from German bombing on the same day. The reconstruction works ended on 15 June 1946, having taken less than two years to complete.

-High speed raliway bridge: probably of a lesser architectural interest compared to the two other bridges, this one is completely absent in the vanilla game. Inaugurated in 2017 and 1317m long, it is the biggest railwa structure between Tours and Bordeaux. 

The bridgesl have been recreated manually from various photos and videos from the internet. This mod comes with a POI for the pont Gustave Eiffel.

This mod is not intended for sale or resale.

 

Related mods:

-Libourne - Porte du Grand Port and othe landmarks: https://flightsim.to/file/8558/libourne-porte-du-grand-port-and-other-landmarks

-Forteresse de Blanquefort: https://flightsim.to/file/12469/forteresse-de-blanquefort

-Saint-Emilion - Tour du Roy and other landmarks : https://flightsim.to/file/6699/saint-emilion-tour-du-roy-and-other-landmarks

-Cité du Vin, Bordeaux: https://flightsim.to/file/6070/cite-du-vin

-Stade Matmut Atlantique, Bordeaux: https://flightsim.to/file/6186/stade-matmut-atlantique-bordeaux

-Talmont-sur-Gironde: https://flightsim.to/file/20411/talmont-sur-gironde

 

 

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Ponts de Cubzac

Experience the historical Ponts de Cubzac with this mod, showcasing the road, railway, and high-speed railway bridges spanning the Dordogne River in southwestern France. Fly below these intricately recreated structures and explore the rich history behind each bridge, including Gustave Eiffels iconic contribution.

Version History

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