Geographical Areas

NAME OF THE LOCAL AREA
Bridge Dam of Monsin

COUNTRY
Belgium

CITY
Liège

THEMATIC AREA
Geography, Biology, Physics

WEB SITE
https://structurae.info/ouvrages/pont-barrage-de-monsin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont-barrage_de_Monsin

DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCAL AREA
The site of the bridge dam of Monsin is located on the Meuse, perpendicular to E25 highway, downstream from Liège, not far from the “Jupiler” brewery.
Coordinates 50° 39′ 07″ N 5° 37′ 51″ E
Liège, the 4th city of Belgium with about 200,000 inhabitants, has no fewer than sixteen bridges, including the brand new footbridge “la Belle Liégeoise” inaugurated in May 2016, between the area of Guillemins railway station (designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava) and the Museum of Fine Arts located in the “Parc de la Boverie”.

The bridge dam of Monsin, designed by Joseph Moutschen, was inaugurated in 1930 during the world fair of Liège, which was dedicated to industry and sciences. It showed innovations since 1830, the year when Belgium became independent.
Thanks to the dam bridge, the course of the Meuse was stabilised, replacing several locks located in the city. Liège owes its commercial development to the Meuse. We can think for instance of the “Quai de la Batte” (with the Sunday market) and the “Halle aux draps” (sheet hall).


Structures such as bridges aim to:
– Regulate natural waterways
– Let ships pass obstacles
– Let a channel pass obstacles
– Let people go from one bank to the other
– Protect critical sections

From a biological point of view, European directives have led to the construction of water treatment plants. The Meuse benefited from those works and has now a much higher water quality than thirty years ago. Its fauna and flora are more developed and a large supply of food is available to animals, including many birds. Wintering birds are counted every year in January.
To the South of the bridge are nature reserves managed by the association “Natagora”, including the “Ile aux Corsaires” (1.98 ha) and the slag heap “Terril du Gosson”. It is easy for animals such as various gulls, and ducks, to go upstream from the dam and feed on fish and crustaceans.

In physics, the production of electricity retained our attention. Indeed, with a 450 m3/s flow on a 5.5 metre fall, up to 18000 W can be produced with 3 alternators. The power plant attached to the dam bridge of Monsin was put in operation in 1954.