The GR78, which notably crosses the village of St Blaise Hospital, is well known to walkers on their way to Santiago de Compostela…
The GR78, which notably crosses the village of Hôpital St Blaise, is well known to walkers on their way to Santiago de Compostela or weekend hikers. But since 2020, the pedestrian bridge which overlooks the Lausset had become impassable due to a flood which had weakened the posts of the structure.
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The departmental council, which is in charge of the hiking trails, then embarked on its renovation. “Rather than favoring new construction, we chose to renovate the existing wooden footbridge, with a view to sustainable development,” explains Laure Laborde, departmental advisor in charge of the project. The work in the river was also carried out by limiting as much as possible the perimeter and duration of the intervention in the bed of the watercourse. And to avoid any risk of pollution, a water filtration system has been put in place downstream of the work.”
Budget the €117,000
While the Armar company, from Anglet, took care of the footbridge, the Casadebaig company made 6 m long concrete piles and laid riprap to stabilize the whole thing. All under the supervision of the SPL des Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
On Wednesday, November 13, the long-awaited moment came: the installation of the 12-meter-long, 4-tonne footbridge, using a Mediaco truck crane. “This company specializes in this type of work,” explains Pepela Mirande, departmental advisor for the Basque Mountain. She also returned from the Toulouse region where she carried out the same type of project. Here she used a truck crane that can lift up to 50 tonnes.”
In total, the budget for the work, covered by the departmental council, amounts to €117,442.92.
From now on, pilgrims to St Jacques will be able to walk peacefully on the GR78 and take the opportunity to visit the church of the St Blaise Hospital, which is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
How did the editorial tone shift in the coverage of the Pedestrian Bridge renovation project as challenges arose?
Editorial tone throughout. In this interview, we discuss the renovation of the Pedestrian Bridge, the challenges faced during the project, and its impact on the local community.
