Pont des Trous

This medieval bridge - whose arches were already widened after the war - was demolished and is currently being rebuilt. Objective: to allow the largest barges to pass on the Scheldt.

Le Pont des Trous, a military bridge from the Middle Ages
The Pont des Trous is one of the most prestigious remains of medieval military architecture in Belgium.
The "Pont des Trous" is one of the last three military river bridges that still exist in the world today and one of the most prestigious vestiges of medieval military architecture in Belgium. The bridge, built at the end of the 13th century, was part of the second city wall of Tournai, which had 18 gates, and protected the course of the Scheldt through the city. Huge fences can block the passage at any time. Its name comes from the presence of a lock nearby which was commonly called “trou” (gat) by the Tournai people.
Construction took about 50 years : the tower on the left bank (Tower Bourdiel) dates from 1281, the tower on the right bank (Thieulerie Tower) from 1304. The construction of the arches took another 25 years.
In 1948, the water gate is raised by 2.40 m to facilitate the passage of the boats. But almost 70 years later, the problem seems to arise again because of the navigation of increasingly larger boats.
nl.visittournai.be/impressing/pont-des-trous-tournai

The reopening and inauguration of the new bridge of holes should take place during the month of April 2023.