“It sucks”: the Tivoli bridge broke down on Thursday evening in Sète

The bridge remained stuck in this position for nearly an hour. Midi Libre – Kelman Marti

On Thursday evening, at 7 p.m., the Tivoli bridge at the entrance to Sète coming from Frontignan broke down, while it was raised. Car and pedestrian traffic finally resumed nearly an hour later, when the metal structure was able to come back down.

In the normally well-oiled waltz of bridge openings, the one at Tivoli missed its reception this Thursday evening. At 6:50 p.m., like every evening, the latter rose normally to allow the navigation of a few boats. But at the first sound signal announcing its descent, nothing happened. The metal structure does not move one iota.

“The bridge is out of order, please wait”

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists question themselves, do not understand, while the wait becomes abnormal.

Then, the minutes tick by, until a bridge worker finally gives an explanation over the loudspeakers: “The bridge is out of order, please wait.”

“It sucks! I just want to go home to Montpellier,” Quentin immediately gets annoyed in the traffic jam. After half an hour of waiting, the first pedestrians and motorists take the gamble of turning around, then a detour, either by the Pont de la Victoire or by the Pont de la Gare.

The breakdown resolved after an hour

On the other side of the Tivoli, Gauthier arrived recently and does not suspect the slightest problem: “I've been waiting for 10 minutes. Well, I'm going to change routes, that's how it is.” On the road, a few meters away from him, Michèle and her grandson Johan wait patiently in their convertible, while the stifling temperature gradually drops.

“We've been here for 30 minutes, I still have hope that it will start working again”, the grandmother says, while her phone displays 19:45. A successful bet, since about 10 minutes later, the Tivoli finally manages to come back down to the great pleasure of those who have been patient.