In 2016, some parts of L'Étang Saint-Paul railway bridge, built between 1879 and 1880, were identified and its position determined during field walking surveys. Discovered on a Réunion railway exploratory mission, these remains are among the oldest railway works still visible today.
L'étang Saint-Paul railway bridge: a history
A bridge was built at Km 64 + 621 metres across L'Étang de Saint-Paul lagoon. The bridge, close to the shore, is next to the Bout de l’Étang to the west of Saint-Paul. This lattice-girder metal bridge, 100 metres long, 3.5 metres wide and 5 metres high, rests on two abutments and a central pier in basalt cut stone; it was built by the Cie du Chemin de fer et du Port de la Réunion (C.P.R.). This regularly maintained bridge is now a footbridge. Nothing remains of the old railway line.
Field walking surveys
Popular with hikers, L'Étang de Saint-Paul has been a 485-hectare national nature reserve since 2008. Walkers and hikers use the former rail bridge, now pedestrianised, to reach the Plaine Chabrier and the Bout de l’Étang.
