The Pont des Arts, the famous pedestrian bridge known worldwide for its perspective on the Seine, has been renovated.

An appearance in Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain

Inaugurated in 1984, the metal footbridge located between the Louvre and the Institut de France is known worldwide for its perspective on the Seine. It is not the first in this location since in 1801, a first building already spanned the river here. But the photogenic nature of the place, its appearance in the cinema, notably in Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, and the success of the large open-air retrospective of the work of the Senegalese Ousmane Sow made it a unique place in the years 1990-2000. A must-see for anyone traveling to Paris.

Nearly 45 tonnes of overload.

Today the floor of the The Pont des Arts, its benches and its candelabra have been given a new lease of life ! The wooden floor, whose condition has deteriorated in recent years, has been renovated. The work was carried out from April to August 2023. The restoration of the The Pont des Arts took place in two phases to maintain its accessibility during the work. The renovation began with the removal of part of the wooden deck to replace it with badi or bilinga, an exotic wood from Africa renowned for its resistance (this FSC wood should last around thirty years where oak has a resistance of twelve years). The new wood was transported by barge in four stages from Bonneuil-sur-Marne, where the old oak cladding dating from 2005 was returned. In the coming days, the safety nets will be removed and the bridge lighting will be modernized. Already in 2015, the bridge’s fences had been replaced by glass panels to prevent the “love padlocks” from hanging which contribute to the degradation of the bridge with nearly 45 tonnes of overload…