Pont du Bonhomme
Pont du Bonhomme is a bridge that crosses the Blavet river in Brittany, France, connecting the towns of Kervignac and Lanester near Lorient. Its name comes from a rock on the left bank that, from a certain angle, looks like a human figure (Breton name Roch ar Boulom). A ferry had operated at this spot since the 17th century before a bridge was built.
The first Pont du Bonhomme was built from 1900 to 1904 by engineer Ferdinand Arnodin. It was a cable-stayed truss-girder bridge, about 237 meters long and 37 meters high, with a central span of 163 meters. It opened in 1904 and served until World War II, when it was damaged. After the war it was repaired, but by 1974 it had become too small for rising traffic and was replaced.
A second bridge, designed by Jacques Mathivat, was opened on August 4, 1974. This bridge is a concrete corbel design, about 282.6 meters long, with three spans (67.95 m, 146.70 m, 67.95 m). It has operated continuously since then, while the old bridge was dismantled except for its two granite piers.
After the war, the old structure’s capacity was limited, and a new bridge was built nearby to handle traffic growth. The two statues that once topped the Pont du Bonhomme, carved by Goanvic, were stolen in 1977 and replicas were placed in 1995; the originals are kept at Hennebont town hall. In 2013, the remaining pier on the Kervignac side was acquired by the town for local management.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:49 (CET).