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Brief overview

This bridge is an essential link between the east and west halves of Greater Caen. It is used every day by 18,000 vehicles, 7% of which are heavy goods vehicles.  However, it no longer has the technical capacity to accommodate the traffic that is currently using it. It is showing signs of fatigue and vehicles over 7.5 tonnes have now been banned from using it. Breakdowns are constantly reoccurring, causing major traffic disruption. It is therefore no longer reasonable to maintain a bridge that suffers from random interruptions of service which disrupt both road and canal traffic.  

The bridge will therefore be replaced with a new one. This new structure will be the main link between the new residential and commercial development La Presqu’Ile Hérouvillaise and the historic town. It aims to accommodate all the various users (pedestrians, cyclists, drivers) in complete safety while ensuring the proper management of ships using the canal.  

In terms of maritime use, the new bridge is going to be similar to the existing one. In other words, it will be a swing bridge operated by Ports of Normandy’s remote control system for all such structures. It will provide a navigation channel that is 40 metres wide and can accommodate all types of vessel likely to pass through the locks at Ouistreham. The clearance gauge under the bridge will be between 4.10 m and 5.50 m so that leisure craft for activities such as rowing, or future river shuttles can pass under without the bridge needing to be opened.

Brief overview 

Registered as a historic monument in 2020, Colbert Bridge will be undergoing a complete restoration. Its structure, comprising a mixture of the original puddled steel and post-war steel, is in very poor condition and is going to be restored. We are also going to renovate its road surface and enlarge the pavements to give access to people with restricted mobility.  

Civil engineering works are also planned: repairs to the paving of the bridge’s turning circle, restoration of the stairs, the travel stops and the top-section of the quay... as well as the restoration of the operator’s cabin and the renovation of the power station façade. Lastly, the operation includes installing lighting to illuminate the bridge at night.  

Learn more about these historic works on the dedicated website!  

Brief Overview

Ports of Normandy has been investing in marine renewable energies in Cherbourg for the last ten years. With investments reaching €100m, the port now boasts a vast industrial area unlike any other in France, which has already seen the creation of 800 jobs and the opening of a factory making blades for offshore wind turbines. In response to the industry’s continuing growth, the port now needs to extend its heavy-lift quay to meet the logistics needs of future large offshore wind farms.

That is why a project to build a new heavy-lift quay named "Flamands 0" has been launched, to rebalance capacity between the land available and the existing quays. The new quay will be 140 metres long with a bearing capacity of 20 tonnes/m² and will be built on the Petite Rade roadstead, near the existing Quai des Flamands. It will have a berthing depth of 14 metres, ideal for large wind farm components, and will be able to accommodate several vessels at the same time, an essential requirement as the wind farm projects ramp up.