Passerelle de la Rue de Crimée

The Pont levant de la rue de Crimée is the last remaining lift bridge in Paris. When it was inaugurated in 1885, it represented a breakthrough in engineering because it was the first bridge in the city to be operated by a hydraulic system. Engineers originally powered this massive mechanism using the pressure from the city of Paris's own drinking water supply. To keep the heavy structure moving, the hydraulic rams and valves were tucked away inside the sewers running directly beneath the canal. It is a designated historical monument that continues to carry road and pedestrian traffic over the intersection of the Canal de l'Ourcq and the Bassin de la Villette.