“it gives goosebumps”

An important moment in the history of Bourgoin-Jallieu in Isère began this Thursday, July 21. At 7:30 a.m., an excavator started working on the Saint-Michel bridge at the entrance to the city center to begin its destruction. Built in the 1970s, this bridge symbolizes the merger between the municipalities of Bourgoin and Jallieu, but a study revealed defects in the structure.

Between joy and nostalgia

1000 cubic meters of sand were dumped on the boulevard to cushion the fall of the pieces of the bridge. After two hours of work, we already see almost through. “I was passing by, I said: I’m going to take pictures because it’s not every day that you see this! It’s very impressive” says Louis-Marie, a resident of the city center.

A few meters behind him, Jacqueline stopped to look at the digger. “I saw him build! I saw it all!” she exclaims. Jacqueline has spent her life in Bourgoin-Jallieu but she is “satisfied” that the bridge is destroyed. “We are going to be oxygenated, it is a monument that was not beautiful.” For her, it’s not a good memory because she says she was attacked when she passed this bridge early on her way to work.

It is true that this bridge is today associated with drug trafficking but it remains the symbol of the city’s history. Enzo came to see the site with his grandfather because he “likes to break everything. They destroy everything slowly” It is above all the machines that interest him, but Noël, his grandfather, would not have missed this moment for the world. He worked four years in the sector. “Every day I came by ten times to do the cleaning. I was happy at work here!”

Boulevard Saint-Michel will change its face

Although the landscape hasn’t changed much so far, he acknowledges that “That’s weird.” Same, “it gives goosebumps” have fun at Christmas because the Saint-Michel bridge is part of his daily life. He will come to see the steps as they go, “everyday, we’re here anyway.”

Boulevard Saint Michel is closed until August 26. After the destruction of the bridge, the stairs to go up to the north and south squares of the Saint-Michel district will be reworked and elevators will be installed for people with reduced mobility. As for the replacement of the bridge by a possible bridge, nothing is decided yet. The town hall wants to allow time to see what the neighborhood will look like without this emblematic bridge.