The Footbridge and the Dam
The Footbridge and the Dam is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Mont-Saint-Michel audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~20 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type bridge
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Mont-Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel guide
About The Footbridge and the Dam
The 2014 footbridge on slender piles and the 2009 Couesnon dam replaced an 1879 causeway that had silted the bay, letting the sea circle the Mont once more.
For more than a century the Mont was reached by a raised causeway built in 1879. The solid road, however, blocked the bay's tidal currents and accelerated silting, so that sand and salt marsh steadily joined the island to the mainland. To reverse this, a major public project was launched to restore the Mont's maritime character and flush sediment out to sea, at a cost put at more than 200 million euros and funded by the French state, the two regions and the European Union.
A dam on the River Couesnon, completed in 2009, stores water at high tide and releases it to scour sediment seaward. A curving pedestrian footbridge designed by Dietmar Feichtinger opened in 2014; about 760 metres long, it rests on roughly 134 slim piers so water can circulate beneath it. The old causeway was then removed, the works finishing in 2015, and visitors now park inland at La Caserne and walk or take a shuttle. Only at the highest tides does the sea fully surround the island again.
Did you know? The 1879 causeway gave dry access but blocked the tides, so the bay silted up and sand slowly welded the island to the mainland. Reversing it took a project costing over 200 million euros.
How long should you spend at The Footbridge and the Dam?
Plan about ~20 min at The Footbridge and the Dam. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is The Footbridge and the Dam worth visiting?
The Footbridge and the Dam is one of the 11 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Mont-Saint-Michel, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Mont-Saint-Michel
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Hear the story of The Footbridge and the Dam
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