Built in 1889, the Colbert Bridge was designed by the chief engineer of the Ponts et Chaussée, Paul Alexandre (1847-1921), in order to link the Pollet district to the city center of Dieppe, separated by the channel dug between 1886 and 1889.
This metallic structure of 70 meters long has the particularity of being a revolving bridge whose opening allows access to the commercial basin, located in the inner harbor, to cargo ships. The rotation is silent and takes between two and three minutes. The rotation is still carried out manually, thanks to the movement of the cylinders that drive the chain around the pulleys thanks to the force transmitted by the hydraulic pressure. The company Fives-Lille manufactured this machinery and the pumps, machines and water accumulators are located in a separate building, at the corner of the rue des Capucins and the quai de la Somme.
As far as the metal structure is concerned, the work is made up of rolled iron elements with multiple shapes such as Saint Andrew's crosses, flat irons, angle irons, all these elements being assembled by rivets.
The bridge is named after Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister of Louis XIV, who came to inspect the port of Dieppe in 1672 since 1925.
After its partial destruction due to German bombing in 1944, a command cabin was added in 1946.
Since 2017 the Colbert Bridge is listed in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments.
Bridge, 19th century, Official historical monument of France (MHC)
