Although the origins of this bridge date back 150 years, it has however been rebuilt 4 times.
The story begins in 1848, the year in which King Louis-Philippe authorized the construction of a “wire” bridge, using the technique popular at the time for suspension bridges. But there you go, iron wires make excellent lightning rods! And, 10 years after its opening in 1849, lightning struck the structure, broke a column, the deck and the suspension device collapsed into the Loire. It took two years to restore it and the bridge reopened in July 1861, with a toll to cover the cost of the work. But, shortly after, in 1870, war broke out, and it was necessary to delay the progress of the Prussian enemy who had already invaded the entire north-east of France. And the French army blew it up, ignoring the opposition of the local authorities and population. Once peace had returned, a third bridge was completed in 1874. It was more solid than the previous ones, with an independent suspension system. But a new invention soon threatens him: The automobile! They are heavy, come and go! The building must therefore be massively restructured so that it can support the weight of modernity. It was also at this time (in the 1930s) that the bridge piers were given the Gothic style of the castle so that the two monuments corresponded to each other. But June 1940 arrives, and soon the German army rushes south. We need to slow down our progress! The French army blows up the bridge deck again. It was not until 1949, after using ferries and then a temporary footbridge, that the bridge spanned the river again.
Apart from the passage of the A85 motorway, it is the only crossing point of the Loire for 45 km, between Tours and Port Boulet. this explains why traffic is so heavy there.