Pont de Bir-Hakeim

The "pont de Bir-Hakeim", formerly the "pont de Passy", is a bridge that crosses the Seine River in Paris, France. It connects the city's 15th and 16th arrondissements, and passes through the île des Cygnes.

The bridge, made of steel, is the second to have stood at the site. It was constructed between 1903 and 1905, replacing an earlier bridge that had been erected in 1878. An arch bridge, it is 237 meters (777 ft) long and 24.7 meters (81 ft) wide.

The bridge has two levels: one for motor vehicles and pedestrians, and a viaduct above, through which passes Line 6 of the Paris Métro. The railway viaduct is supported by metal colonnades, except where it passes over the île des Cygnes, where it rests on a masonry arch. Many commemorative plates decorate the viaduct bridge, including several dedicated to soldiers fallen in Belgium during the Second World War.

In addition, the central arch of the viaduct, at the level of the island, is decorated with four monumental stone statues in high-relief: figures of "Science" and "Labor" by Jules-Felix Coutan, and "Electricity" and "Commerce" by Jean Antoine Injalbert.

Originally named the "pont de Passy" (after the former commune of Passy, which it reaches), it was renamed in 1948 to commemorate the Battle of Bir Hakeim, fought by Free French forces against the Nazi Afrika Korps in 1942 [http://www.jellesen.dk/webcrea/places/paris/parisbridge.htm] .

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