The Global History of Iron Bridges: From Porto to Senegal

This article explores the history and significance of iron and steel bridges worldwide, prompted by a recent fire damaging Rome's Ponte dell'Industria. It highlights the revolutionary impact of these materials in the 19th century, comparing the public's initial fear of metal structures to contemporary reactions to new technologies. The narrative begins with the Dom Luís I Bridge in Porto, Portugal, designed by Theophile Seyrig, a student of Gustave Eiffel, and inaugurated on October 31, 1886. It then discusses the Pont Faidherbe in Saint-Louis, Senegal, built in 1897 by Nouguier, Kessler & Compagnie d'Argenteuil and inaugurated on July 14, 1898. The bridge, designed by engineer Jean Résal, required reconstruction between 1929 and 1931 and further repairs in 1987 and 1999. In the 2000s, the Senegalese government invested 22.5 billion CFA francs in its preservation. The article also references the Eiffel Tower (1889) and the Brooklyn Bridge, which was tested with elephants on May 17, 1884. It underscores that while European iron bridges are historical, in Africa they represent both a painful colonial legacy and a symbol of cultural heritage management, with the Pont Faidherbe being a UNESCO World Heritage site.