Circuit touristique par la route autour du Viaduc du Viaur
At the favour of a bend (...or even several), let yourself be led to the 3 breathtaking viewpoints on this steel lace designed by Paul Bodin! Everything is in free access.
Where a river flows, a bridge spans it!
Between Aveyron and Tarn, in the heart of Ségala, the Viaduct du Viaur is placed on the sides of the Viaur valley, as light as a wing
It is a remarkable metallic realization of the engineer Paul Bodin. You will be amazed by the harmony of technology and nature. Steel beams, arches, a million rivets... This aerial lacework dating from the 19th century rises 116m high and 460m long, with a central arch spanning 220m. Let yourself be transported by this genius construction!
Picturesque hiking trails from Tauriac de Naucelle and Tanus allow you to appreciate it from every angle and 3 lookouts to take a picture of it (gô vision area, Paul Bodin area and Yunnan area).
An innovative technique
The Viaduct of Viaur was the subject of an architectural competition in 1887, open to engineers: 8 projects were presented, including one from a certain... Gustave Eiffel. In the end, the project presented by Paul Bodin, an engineer at the Batignolles company and professor at the Ecole Centrale, was chosen
This steel bridge, assembled by hand rivets, is composed of two balanced and articulated cantilever beams, each extended by a short beam of constant section and a masonry abutment with two arches. The central arch is formed by two symmetrical frames that are buttressed, in the middle of the bridge, by an articulated key
It is the only bridge of this type in France. This technique allows the free deformation of the central arch, under the influence of the loads supported during the passage of trains, temperature variations and wind
- 3800 tons of steel
- 4000 m3 of masonry
To discover everything about the viaduct, consult the online booklet: Viaduc du Viaur
