Since its commissioning in 1885, the Crimée bridge in the 19th arrondissement of Paris has seen over 9,000 maneuvers every year. And with good reason: this infrastructure is the last lift bridge in Paris. Linking the Quai de l'Oise to the Quai de la Marne, the Pont de Crimée crosses the Canal de l'Ourcq and is operated from the control room of the first lock on the Canal Saint-Denis (according to Tourisme 93).
Originally conceived as a swing bridge, the Crimée Bridge eventually became a hydraulic lift bridge, becoming the third lift bridge to be built in France in 1885, and the last to remain in the capital today.
The bridge's lifting system can be seen as you drive over it: once in position, it allows boats to pass up the Ourcq canal to Pantin and Meaux. Since 1993, the bridge has even been listed as a historic monument. If you'd like to see the Pont de Crimée raised to allow boats to pass, we recommend you watch it from the adjacent pedestrian footbridge, which allows you to cross the canal even when the bridge is raised. But beware: the crossing is quick, taking an estimated five minutes for a steamer and twenty minutes for larger convoys.
