Tonnay-Charente: looking for 500,000 euros to save the bridge
Tonnay-Charente launches the restoration of its suspension bridge. To finance the project, the conservation association and the city are relying on private sponsorship.
"People build too many walls and not enough bridges." This is the whole point of the project for Xavier Bech, president of the association for the preservation of the Tonnay-Charente suspension bridge. Here, the objective is clear: to raise funds to restore the Tonnay-Charente suspension bridge . An emblematic bridge of the town, it is in danger of collapsing, in particular the metal deck, pieces of which have already come loose. To implement this project, the association and the town estimate they will need fifteen million euros: six million euros for the first phase, which concerns the metal deck and is the most urgent project, particularly because of the risk of falling metal for the thirty or so homes located under the bridge, and eight million for the second phase, which consists of renovating the stone part of the bridge.
To finance this project, the association is launching an appeal for donations through an agreement with the Fondation du patrimoine. The Tonnay-Charente bridge is far from being the first project in the region to call on this private sponsorship. This was the case for the Maison Pierre Loti , but also for Fort Boyard and "L'Hermione" . The organizers hope to raise 500,000 euros by 2026-2027. But this increase in appeals for donations in the heritage sector is worrying. This is the case for Rémi Justinien, vice-president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council: "We are in a very competitive territory in terms of appeals for donations. We are faced with numerous projects."
More than just a thoroughfare, preserving the Tonnay-Charente bridge also has a heritage aspect. Built in 1842, the bridge has been listed as a historic monument since 1988. It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in Europe. The construction of such a structure at that time was, moreover, a technical feat. It is precisely this aspect that interested Cyril Guilmeau, vice-president of the association, in this project: "It's an exciting adventure for several reasons: the heritage, the human, but above all the technical aspects."
The residents of Tonnay-Charente are also getting involved in the bridge's renovation. For Françoise Bonnin, secretary of the association and a resident of the town, participating was a no-brainer: "I often walk across the bridge with my family or friends. It's an important place in the town. Middle school students pass by there on their way to class. It would be a real shame if the bridge disappeared." The same goes for Jean-Pierre Noureau, a masonry contractor: "I regularly cycle across it. It's important to preserve the local heritage." With his company, he is one of the first to have made a pledge. For now, the association estimates the amount of pledges between 15,000 and 20,000 euros. Until the partnership with the Heritage Foundation is finalized, it is still possible to make a donation to the town hall.
