A large-scale operation in the south of France to replace the sidewalk on the Martigues lift bridge

The Grand Port Maritime de Marseille has entrusted John Cockerill Services teams in the South of France with replacing the sidewalks on the Martigues lift bridge. A key artery for the city, this lift bridge consists of two spans of approximately 30 metres, which are raised by a mechanism located on either side of the bridge inside abutments.

Working in partnership with MATIERE, the company responsible for manufacturing the new structures, the John Cockerill Services France Sud teams replaced the two pavements, each measuring 30 metres long and weighing around 15 tonnes.

Frédéric Thomère, Head of Public Contracts & Hydroelectricity, with the support of Julien Coudière, Works Manager, explains: “The project was carried out in two phases: the first phase for the north flight in early 2025 and the second phase before the summer. We replaced the two pavements and also repaired the road joints used for the expansion of the structure with our partner, Ævia. One of the biggest challenges of this project was to schedule the operations while adapting to the requirements of maritime, road and pedestrian traffic. As the lift bridge is crucial for traffic in the town of Martigues, closures had to be kept to a minimum.”

During the pavement replacement and bridge structure repair phases, 16 technicians from all trades were mobilised. Today, the new pavements are in place and much to the delight of the residents of Martigues. Well done to the John Cockerill teams for their expertise and know-how in carrying out this project!