Demolition of Medieval Pont des Trous in Tournai Sparks Controversy

Demolition of the Pont des Trous, a 13th-century Gothic bridge in Tournai, Belgium, began on August 2, 2019, to allow larger cargo ships (up to 2,000 tonnes) to pass, part of a 105-km canal linking the Seine and Scheldt rivers. The bridge, built between 1281 and 1304, was one of three surviving Gothic military bridges in Europe. Its three ogival arches were dismantled, with plans to rebuild them higher in the same style using original stones. However, critics, including Belgian Energy and Environment Minister Marie-Christine Marghem, denounced the lack of preservation and alleged mismanagement, claiming stones were not numbered and some fell into the river irretrievably. The demolition follows a 1948 reconstruction after WWII bombing, when the central arch was raised 2.40 meters for similar commercial reasons. Local group 'Préservons l'identité du Pont des Trous' opposed a proposed contemporary design. The two flanking fortresses remain untouched.