The siren signalling the start of lifting operations sounded at 4.45pm. Once traffic had been blocked and the span unlocked, the bridge deck began to rise for the 1,000th time since 2013, at a speed of five metres per minute. Eleven minutes and 47 m later, the bridge span was overhanging the Garonne, providing 52 m of air draft for the Silver Spirit liner to leave the port of Bordeaux and reach the ocean. 

"In 2013, we won our first contract to assist with works handovers, followed by the operation and maintenance of the bridge, and this year we have been renewed for a further eight years. As far as operation is concerned, we carry out around a hundred manoeuvres a year - mainly from April to October - as well as one major manoeuvre a month for maintenance in winter. The pulley system is located at the top of the bridge piers, so our technicians are trained rope access specialists. They check and lubricate the cables, rails and guides beneath the 76-metre-high piers," explained Business Manager Anthony Hubert. 

Now one of the city's landmarks, this lift-span bridge is the largest in Europe. Its steel deck is 117 metres long, 45 metres wide and weighs 2,500 tonnes. The lifting operation begins after a round of arming to check that all the mechanisms are in working order. It requires six hours' continuous presence on site, and can only take place at high tide, when the Port of Bordeaux's harbour master's office gives the go-ahead. Our experts are responsible for complete maintenance of the structure (excluding civil engineering and roads), and have no margin of error. 

"The contract provides for penalties in the event of malfunctions during manoeuvres, so we multiply our preventive maintenance operations. A team of six operators constantly monitors the various electrical cabinets, the four 130 kW motors and the lifting system. The lifting machinery, located below river level, is made up of four 600-ton counterweights (one per pier), which work like an elevator, so that the motors only have to compensate for 100 tons of load before the 2,500-ton deck can rise," added Anthony Hubert. 

With a 100% success rate, our specialists demonstrated their expertise and won the contract to maintain two other swing bridges for Bordeaux Métropole. These old swing bridges, located at dock basin level (Bassins à Flots) in the immediate vicinity of the Cité du Vin, play a strategic role in urban traffic, allowing the tramway to pass through and reach the depot.