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Home > The essentials of the Canal > The Somme Canal Bridge
In order to preserve the natural environment of the Somme valley, between Cléry-sur-Somme, Biaches and Péronne, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal will cross this area thanks to the Somme Canal Bridge. An ambitious structure of 1 meters – the longest in Europe – with a water width of 330 meters.
A major issue in the design of the Canal, the preservation of the great ecological wealth Nature guided the realization of such a work. Concretely, the Canal Bridge will be located about 30 meters above the river. Only its support piles will require development at the bottom of the valley. Thus, the wetlands will be preserved and the natural flow of the Somme preserved, particularly during periods of flooding.
A technical feat, the construction of the Canal Bridge will require a 4-year construction site, starting in 2025. It will be accompanied by a vast program of 270 hectares of environmental development in the valley which has already been initiated, in particular with the restoration of afforestation. With sidewalks on each side, 4,50 meters wide, it is designed to integrate into the daily lives of local residents and thus allow the crossing by pedestrians and other soft mobility by integrating with hiking routes.
Emblem of the region, in the same way as the Millau viaduct for Occitanie, the Somme Canal Bridge will highlight the natural sites of this valley. Through discovery sites, trails, ornithological routes, cycle paths or even fishing areas, visitors and local residents will be able to rediscover the protected natural area of their valley. Natura 2000 areas of great heritage value, due to the exceptional flora and fauna they shelter. The Somme Canal Bridge, an exceptional work, will become the symbol of the technical and environmental challenges taken up by this “project of the century”.
This is the length of the Somme Canal Bridge which will span the Cléry-sur-Somme site
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