FAQ (frequently asked questions)
What areas will be affected by your plans?
Is a new river crossing necessary?
Isn't a fix bridge preferable?
Why not a movable lift- or swing-bridge ?
Hasn't the idea of a transporter had its day ?
Is a transporter bridge well adapted to transportation necessities in a modern city ?
How long will the crossing take ? Embarking and landing ? Frequencies ?
What services will be available on the top level of this bridge ?
Will the bridge be attractive to tourists?
How many other transporter bridges are left in the world?
Why was the Nantes transporter bridge dismantled?
How much would a new transporter bridge cost ?
Where exactly would it be built ?
Will it be a toll bridge and what fares will be necessary ?
Will it be profitable ?
How many new jobs ?
How do they operate the gondola?
Will it be friendly to the environment?
How does the transporter bridge comply with the future of this particular area of Nantes, and what relationship will it have to Jules Verne?
How will you choose a name?
What areas will be affected by you plans?
Foreigners should know that Nantes is a major town, with some 600,000 inhabitants, that used to be the capital of the Dukedom of Brittany – from the estuary (port of St Nazaire, the port is 30 odd miles upstream the river Loire. The detailed situation is shown hereunder. The area concerned is shown in the yellow circle, the upper branch of the river is called Madeleine, the lower, Pirmil. Downstream of Ile de Nantes is only one bridge available, ie the major Cheviré bridge on the circular express road, about 5 miles away.
Is a new river crossing necessary in Nantes?
This part of the « Ile de Nantes”, which used to be very industrial, is to-day merely a wasteland. The plan for a new housing and building development foresees doubling its population. A few years ago this area of roughly 250 acres started as a major tourism with the « Machines » with its giant mechanical elephant, « The Banana storehouse, numerous bars and eating places. machines. The plan also includes a marina basinwhich should boost tourism in the future. In 2007 the “Estuaire” festival included a cruise starting from the ancient slipway that sailed to Saint-Nazaire and back everyday in the summer season.
The liaison with the rest of the city is concentrated on one single bridge to the left bank, and another one, the Duchess Anne bridge, linking the right bank – The latter is congested about four hours every day. With the new population expected, the situation will not remain long bearable.
Thus a new river crossing, about 500 yardsdownstream seems logical if we want to maintain free access to this part of the island, but what kind of bridge ?
Isn't a fix bridge preferable ?
A classic bridge would certainly allow larger vehicle flows than the transporter bridge but unfortunately would as well cause more congestions in the island itself.That’s why, it has been envisaged to bring a tramway on the island to deviate more auto flows .
Besides, a fix bridge would definitely ruin the maritime character of the « Bras de la Madeleine », as is called the right branch of the river,
Indeed the geographical area (see map) is a very special one in that town. It is considered by the population as the root-territory of Nantes. It’s the very place where the fundamentals of the city’s awareness arose, which are not intellectual, political but mostly owed to traders, ship-owners and merchants..
Better than dukes or kings, this maritime elite have made of Nantes what it is now and have linked it to the rest of the world.
Closing the Bras de la Madeleine by a fix bridge would therefore be a tragic mistake. An historical failure, as well as cultural and geographical. We know for well the importance that a strong identity represents when it comes to direct (tourism) or indirect (attractive power for corporate activities) fallouts.
The preservation of this dual identity – maritime and merchant – of Nantes is in no way compatible with the classical low bridge hypothesis. We have to develop our creativity and find innovative ways to cross the river by other ways.
As the poet Julien Gracq said : «Nantes is not a mere landlubber, and not totally dedicated to the sea… neither flesh nor fish, just the kind that makes a mermaid " in “La forme d'une ville"
Why not a movable lift- or swing-bridge ?
Such bridges, often to be found in ports seem to solve the equation, at first glance inasmuch it allows the traffic flows to remain fluid and allows the passage of ships needing much free height such as sailboats.
Nevertheless, this type of constructions also bears disadvantages by heavy traffic and especially when regular scheduled transportation are concerned (trains, tramways). Thus lifting or turning the bridge for irregular flows of smaller boats or a longer time by high tide ( tide, by essence, comes at a different time every day) - would disrupt street flows.
Also boat shows, old gaffers, as in Rouen’s famous “Armada show ” would not be possible as they would block the road traffic.
We have tried fictive views of the port to judge of the aesthetics… The result is disastrous.
The other problem is technical . The maximum span of these bridges is about 100 metres and we need 180 metres. Thus huge concrete pillars would have to be build with caissons that would divert flows of water and cause redoubtable sand deposits, needing costly dredging.
A transporter bridge would leave an entirely all time free channel for boats, would be respectful of the normal flows of water, finally would preserve the beauty of the site and offer a view to the downstream scenery..
Hasn't the idea of a transporter had its day ?
None of us envisaged to be nostalgic-only or consider a pasted replica of the old transporter bridge that was dismantled in 1958.. One should know that the engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, who designed and built the first bridge of this type (the one at Bilbao, now UNESCO’s heritage) and 8 more, used the most modern techniques of his time.
We are not proposing the “reconstruction” of a steel bridge with just the functions the ancient had. Ours will be stable, vibrations free, and will offer the visitor thousands of square feet on the top with techniques available in the XXIst century, whatever it may involve : cables, chariot wheels, composite materials, etc
But the general shape and aspect will not change much . The transporter bridge will allow a simultaneous double road and river flows. Its capacity is considerable for pedestrians – that of a tramway (200 personns every 4 minutes) – and not at all ridiculous when it come to vehicles : about one third that of a fix bridge.
Is a transporter bridge well adapted to transportation necessities in a modern city ?
Sure. Clear enough, even if the transporter bridge offers the capacity of a tramway, it will be an interconnected link between two lines. Like changing lines in the tube of in subways, by help of a long travelator
Clearly the transporter bridge has to be a part of a soft mobility plan of the town as it offers not only place for persons but also for all kinds of new personal vehicle that arise now : segways, electric bikes and autos…
An adapted tariff structure should show a voluntary effort to promote the reduction of cars in the city, now 60% of all movements.
How long will the crossing take ? Embarking and landing ? Frequencies ?
The crossing will take a minute. In heavy traffic, the gondola will stay a minute tied to the quay, which is enough to embark and disembark 200 foot passengers and about 15 vehicles.So frequencies will be comparable to tramways. There will be a night stop; for about five hours.
What services will be available on the top level of this bridge ?
At a height of 200 feet, we will have se secured “ aerial street “, 500 feet long with a magnificent view. Of course, there are to be elevators to get there. Services will be available.
We plan de 200 seats restaurant, a small business centre, exhibitions, etc… and special events. Right now, the only high place in France remains the Eiffel Tower. Of course our bridge doesn’t compete in the same backyard, but why shouldn’t we just use the recipe, modestly ?.
Will the bridge be attractive to tourists?
We’ll do everything for that.Apart from catering that will account for 20 % of the bridge income , the revenue from tourism is planned to bring a share of 50% , broken down in crossings in the gondola, ascensions, and exclusive by-products .
By the time it will be built the tourist nature of the area will also be boosted. It will be a real “Vernian loop”.
How many other transporter bridges are left in the world?
Eighteen transporter bridges were built between 1893 and 1933 of which nine by F Arnodin, the engineer that also delivered ours in Nantes, in 1903 – Eight of them survived to wars or were dismantled – Six are still operating, of which the first one (1893), Arnodin type, in Spain. This one, in Bilbao-Portugalete was granted the UNESCO « World heritage » label. The Rochefort/Martrou transporter bridge ( built 1900), the only one remaining in France is a historical monument, but the high span is not accessible ant its gondola only operates in summer for tourism purposes only. No bridge of that type has ever been constructed after 1933, but a number of high towers were erected for which tourism bring profitability, such as the CN Tower, in Toronto, the Seattle space needle, the Menanra tower in Kuala Lumpur, and others in Sydney, Berlin, Moscow, attracting millions of tourists and dollars.
Why was the Nantes transporter bridge dismantled ?
In 1854, the city council decided to stop operations, for security reasons. The bridge had been ill treated during the war (bombings in the port, 1943) and poorly maintained. Despite of that the bridge is a major help to cross the river in the first years following the conflict, as most classic bridges had been destroyed.
In the fifties, prosperity and low cost of petrol encouraged road traffic, cars became numerous in the city and tramways replaced by buses. The State railway station placed on the Ile de Nantes was no longer open to passengers. Also the shipyard activity developing productivity hired less labour.
And above all, the cost of repairs is too high and the state refuses to pay its share.
So in 1957, with a heavy heart, the City Council decide for the dismantling, which will be effective in 1958.
Many a Nantais cries..
How much would a new transporter bridge cost ?
Starting from the price of steel , engineers calculated that a pasted version of the bridge would cost 15 M €.
However, to carry out all the missions described, with elevators and secured spaces upstairs, innovative technologies such as high performance concrete, carbon, composites could be employed : they would, of course, boost the cost, but also be a showcase of what the regions engineering talents has to offer. A more realistic figure of 50 Million is then proposed, which remains in the region of what a classic bridge costs. But we also have to consider that a transporter bridge brings revenues, which is not the case for others…
Will it be a toll bridge and what fares will be necessary ?
In a first evaluation fares are as follows :
- foot pax crossing with the gondola = 1 tram ticket , assuming an agreement with TAN operating tramways –
- car crossing 3 €, less for subscribers – Low rates for any electric vehicles or hybrids
- bikers take their bicycle free.
- accesst o the high beam with lifts =5 to 8 € - That is equal to the Eiffel tower and much less than a number of high monuments in the world (The CN tower in Toronto ascension ticket is 32 Cdn$ or 20 €
Will it be profitable ?
Our plan is show proven revenue of nearly 10 M$ yearly. Should the amortization of the building be done on a long period (30 to 50 years) a yearly break-even or even profit is to be contemplated. Additional research have to be done to validate a first economic report that was done , supposing realistic valuations and numbers : for transportation, they are below those of the only other model , Bilbao, for tourism, they are modest with only 200,000 tourists year, a figure already reached by other attractions (machines’ hall…) in the same area.
As a point of history, the Eiffel tower had not been built to last and its amortization was done at the end of the 1889 Universal
Today it’s a highly profitable thing. 10% of its revenues are transferred to the City of Paris budget and a comparable amount is paid in taxes. They employ a labour of 500 and its symbol as a landmark is equal to none.
Where exactly would it be built ?
As the Duchess Anne classic bridge has been built above the piles of the ancient transporter bridge, we had to think of another location .
We propose a crossingjust 200 yards upstream of the Ile de Nantes western edge, by the Banana’s warehouse.. (see plan attached).
The distance to the other –Duchess Anne bridge is of some 500 yards.
How many new jobs ?
Owing to the attendance to missions and functions described above, we can speak of a minimum of 60direct jobs in management, attendance, service, boutiques, restaurants, etc…
How do they operate the gondola ?
The visit of Bilbao’ s transporter bridge is of much interest – A plateau hovers in full silence about 15 ft over the river, hanging to cables linked to a chariot rolling on rails on the high span . Fully electric. For the onlooker on shore, it appears like a UFO. Less than a minute is required for the crossing of this 160 metres wide river branch.
Will it be friendly to the environment?
The sole power will be electricity and our architects are investigating the possibilities of making that bridge autonomous. Some of the power can be produced by second generation of solar panels, and maybe the help of a river current power station.
But it may act in this way by its mere presence by helping soft traffic flows (bikes, personal transport assistants, electric of hybrid cars)…It will also work as an emblem for a virtuous work of art in a virtuous city.
Just like Nantes, as Grenoble, were long shown as exemplary, when they first started modern tramways, and were later imitated by many others, the transporter bridge example may work as domino effect and have a world impact.
What relationship will it have with Jules Verne ?
This district of Nantes, that we depict as “source” for prosperity initiated by seamen, ship-owners, shipyards and traders, has some merits. It has a right to claim unequalled city-planning. There are strong assets already existing . Among them the fact that Jules Verne was born in Nantes where he spent par of his life . He had his boat in the port (being reconstructed now) a museum dedicated to him and a number of attractions inspired by the Vernian universe, such as the machines hall, the Mechanical elephant… All this suggest that the project of a Vernian Loop could be popular not only with tourists but also in the eyes of the population. A very special quarter in the city
The Vernian loop – each particular yellow circle mean a centre of attraction.
How will you choose a name ?
JULES VERNE transporter high bridge, of course. What else ?