Canal latéral à la Loire

Course outline of the channel

The Canal in the Loire ( dt: Loire Lateral Canal ) is a ship canal, which runs in the French regions of Burgundy, Auvergne and Centre. He, together with the channels Canal du Loing, Canal de Briare and the Canal du Centre, a channel chain (Route Bourbonnais ), which allows the barges and pleasure boats a transition from the Seine to the Saône and on to the Mediterranean. Due to its construction the seasonal unsafe use of the parallel river Loire was first reduced and eventually completely dispensable for shipping.

Development and technical infrastructure

The channel finds its beginning in Digoin where he finds connection to the Canal du Centre. He then crossed by a canal bridge the Loire, where shortly afterwards the Canal de Roanne à Digoin opens from the left. It runs generally in a north-westerly direction and in compliance with always changing distance from the left bank of the Loire. Only at Briare he crosses again the Loire and flows a few kilometers after the Briare canal. Its total length is 196 kilometers.

It is a channel of the type of side-channel which the river follows the course of the Loire without own vertex position. The height difference of 98 meters is overcome by 37 locks. The locks are designed for ships with the standard size Freycinet. To cross the Loire tributaries multiple channel bridges were built, the most famous are those of Digoin ( on the Loire), Le Guétin (via the Allier) and Briare ( on the Loire).

Several branch ducts connect the channel with important places and the river where the ships are capable of switching at a suitable water level on the Loire:

• Branch canal to Dompierre -sur -Besbre
• Branch canal to Decize (after crossing the Loire: Connection to the Canal du Nivernais )
• Branch canal to Nevers
• Branch duct after Givry- Fourchambault
• Branch canal to Saint -Thibault ( municipality of Saint -Satur )
• Branch canal Châtillon - Mantelots

Coordinates

• Source of the canal: 46 ° 28 ' 47 " N, 3 ° 58' 56 " O46.4797222222223.9822222222222Koordinaten: 46 ° 28 ' 47 " N, 3 ° 58' 56" E
• Endpoint of the channel: 47 ° 38 ' 50 " N, 2 ° 45 ' 30" O47.6472222222222.7583333333333

By Crossed departments

• In the Burgundy region: Saône -et -Loire and Nièvre
• In the region Auvergne Allier
• In the Centre region Cher and Loiret

Places on the canal

• Digoin
• Dompierre -sur -Besbre (via needle tract )
• Decize (via branch canal )
• Nevers (via needle tract )
• Marseilles- lès -Aubigny
• Sancerre
• Saint -Satur
• Châtillon -sur -Loire
• Briare

History

The canal was built in the years 1822-1838. However, after its completion, he pointed to difficult river passages, including at Châtillon -sur -Loire, where the crossing between the locks of the Ecluse Ecluse Mantelots and the Combles was. There was also the by complex engineering structures created in the river crossing canal of importance. By the river crossings shipping remained dependent and dangerous even after the subsequent use of steam-powered winches from the changing water levels in the Loire. To solve this problem from 1890 to 1896 the canal bridges were built and rebuilt at the same time the channel on the Freycinet standard of Léonce -Abel Mazoyer.

Attractions

The Canal Bridge (fr: Pont- Canal ) Briare is a trough bridge with a length of 662.69 m and a width of 11.50 m (including towpaths ). It was built in the years 1890-1896 as a riveted iron structure and can accommodate ships with a draft of up to 2.20 m. The design of the bridge was carried out by chief engineer Léonce -Abel Mazoyer, the design of the famous pilasters comes from engineer Charles Sigault. In the construction company Daydé & Pillé for the metal bridge decks, and the company Eiffel et Cie were. involved for substructure and foundations. Erroneously, therefore the architecture of the bridge often Gustave Eiffel is attributed. Once established, a trough bridge was the largest in Europe for a century until this position was taken over by the canal bridge Magdeburg.