Pont de Vieille-Brioude

Pont de Vieille-Brioude (Vieille-Brioude Bridge) is located in France, crossing Allier River. It is a masonry arch bridge with a span of convert|45|m|ft|0 that was built in 1832 [ [http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0002839 Structurae [en: Vieille-Brioude Bridge (1832) ] ] .

The predecessor [ [http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0002840 Structurae [en: Vieille-Brioude Bridge ( 15th century ) ] ] of this bridge on the same site was probably built 1479 and had a span of convert|54|m|ft|0 making it the longest existing arch span for some three hundred years. The bridge was ordered by local resident Lady de Dombes and built by Grenier and Estone similar to as Pont Grand (Tournon-sur-Rhône) was later built [cite book|last=Cresy|first=Edward |coauthors= |title=An Encyclopædia of Civil Engineering, Historical, Theoretical and Practical |year=1847 |publisher=Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans |location= |isbn= |pages= p253 |url=http://books.google.se/books?id=MUMOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA253&dq=vieille+brioude+bridge&lr= |accessdate=] . The completion of the bridge was delayed for years because of some controversy. The bridge was too narrow [cite book|last=Gostling|first=Frances Marion |coauthors= |title=Auvergne and Its People |year= |publisher= Elibron Classics |location= |isbn= 1402153155 |pages= p159 |url=http://books.google.se/books?id=rG6ToFGTSWwC&pg=RA2-PA159&dq=vieille+brioude+bridge&sig=GaYWWoFv0TZm6pFaaP4utMuRbPE#PRA2-PA159,M1 |accessdate=] and its approaches too steep to be used by carts. It collapsed March 27 1822 at 6 am.

The first bridge was wooden.