In 2016, some parts of Ravine Blanche railway bridge at Saint-Pierre, 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.

The Ravine Blanche railway bridge at Saint-Pierre: a history

A bridge was built at Km 124 + 190 metres to cross the Blanche gully on the western outskirts of the town of Saint-Pierre. The bridge has two arches, each 10 metres long, in basalt cut stone masonry; it is 29 metres long, 3.5 metres wide and 3.6 metres high. Built by the Cie du Chemin de fer et du Port de la Réunion (C.P.R.), the bridge rests on rocky ground. This former rail bridge is now a footbridge and offers a reminder of the railway line that crossed the gully at this point.

Field walking surveys

At Saint-Pierre, along the coast, between the former railway station and the far west of the town, the Blanche gully, which begins in the district of Tampon at Nez de Bœuf, enters the ocean through a vast gully mouth. The former Ravine Blanche railway bridge, now a footbridge, is part of a trail for walkers and cyclists that follows the route of the old railway line on the path created between Saint-Pierre and Pierrefonds

Associated media

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