Pont Suspendu de la Riviere de l'Est

The Rivière de l'Est cuts a deep ravine across the eastern coast road, and in 1894 a suspension bridge was thrown across it, at the time among the longest of its kind and a serious piece of engineering for a colony. It carried traffic until a modern bridge replaced it in 1979. The old bridge survives beside its successor as a listed monument, closed to vehicles but open to walk across, with the ravine dropping away below.

What you'll find

• The 1894 bridge - a suspension span kept as a monument beside the modern road.
• The ravine - the deep gorge of the Riviere de l'Est below the deck.
• The engineering - the cables, towers and deck of a nineteenth-century suspension bridge.
• The walking crossing - the old deck open on foot.

When to go

Year round; the bridge is accessible in daylight. Mornings are quietest. After heavy rain the river below runs high and brown.

Things to know

It is a single bridge and the visit is brief. Parking on a busy main road is awkward. The old deck can be closed for maintenance without notice.

Nearby

Sainte-Anne is north, and Anse des Cascades is south.

Key facts