The Grimshaw-designed Robert Poujade pedestrian bridge in Toulouse has officially opened. 

Developed alongside ppa.architecture as part of a consortium led by French civil engineering construction company Eiffage, which included Ingérop, ATP, and Quartiers Lumières, the bridge is one of four that will connect the Île du Ramier and the city. It will provide accessible routes through Toulouse’s new “green lung” on the Garonne River. 

The footbridge will serve as a catalyst for the development of the northern end of the Île du Ramier. This will include the redevelopment of the former Parc des Expositions site, along with car-free pedestrian access to the Art Deco Nakache swimming pool and stadium.

The approximately 525-foot-long bridge will link the city’s Fer à Cheval district to the north of the island. On the city side, it is connected to the riverbank, with access to the river promenade and cycle path. It is also connected to the Avenue du Muret - Marcel Cavaillé tramway station. On the island side, the footbridge is guided by the site’s terrain levels, limiting its impact on the landscape. It descends into the park through a circular inclined ramp and a concrete staircase designed to reduce the risk of flooding. 

The cable-stayed bridge stands out through a roughly 197-foot inverted V-shaped steel mast. The structure acts as a gateway to the island, and its design allows visitors to cross the bridge with uninterrupted views of the old town to the north and the Pyrenees to the south. The bridge features a simple material palette. The steel mast supports a 16-foot deck and a balustrade, which are both metal. At night, the bridge is illuminated by controlled lighting stretching down its path. 

"We are delighted to have collaborated on the design of the Robert Poujade bridge and to be playing our part in the renewal of the Ile du Ramier as a centre for leisure, sport and reconnection with the city's biodiversity," said Principal of Grimshaw's Paris office and lead architect on the project, Alice Barrois. 

Guillaume Pujol, associate architect at ppa.architecture adds: "This new structure will also help the city to reclaim the banks of the Garonne and Île du Ramier, which have been restored to their natural state and made accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. The particular configuration of the site (between the dyke and the island) led to the ambitious architectural and structural choice of an asymmetrical cable-stayed structure."