Construction of the Parisian metro on the site of old tunnels

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Once again looking through the old photographs, I noticed that the builders, laying the branches of the future Parisian metro, are doing earthworks in the existing tunnels with stone vaults, which they could not have laid before this construction began.

The Paris Metro is one of the oldest metros in Europe (fourth after London, Budapest and Glasgow Metro). The first metro lines were laid strictly under the carriageway; deviation from the axis of the streets threatened to fall into the basements and cellars of houses. Some stations have a curved platform due to the insufficient width of the streets. For the same reason, the side platforms at some stations are not exactly opposite each other.

Opened July 19, 1900 for the World's Fair; a ticket on the first line "Château de Vincennes - Port Maillot" cost 15 centimes in old francs for the second class and 25 centimes for the first. Most of the lines in the center were built by 1920.

Here we see part of the destroyed tunnel, inside which work is underway.

1903, April 16. Many masonry pipes are visible. Storm or conventional sewerage or an ancient aqueduct? Pay attention to the level of obviously filled soil.

1903, October 15. Several levels of communication are visible

1906, March 8. If you enlarge the photo, you can see that work is underway to deepen the existing arch of a tunnel.

1906, May 7. Here, similarly, they deepen, but this is the intersection of the two branches. The lower branch is built from scratch: first by laying out a stone vault, and then going deeper downward, strengthening the walls and foundation. This method of building the metro is called Parisian and has been used at other sites.

The existing stone wall will be reinforced and will be poured into concrete. But, this is an underground part of some building in the past …

Let's continue from another album:

It can be seen that the workers are dismantling the old stone communications. But the fact that they were used in work for the removal of soil is for sure. The vault here is already concrete.

Parisian method. First, the vault was poured, and then they go deeper downward, strengthening the walls.

Parisian method. The term went down in the history of metro construction

The next stage of deepening

Is the arch of an old building or tunnel visible?

Communications destroyed in the course of work

Here on the left you can also see some ancient small arches

The vault of the old tunnel is visible

I will comment on these two photos as follows: they dug a foundation pit. They found an old tunnel, destroyed part of it (up to the fence) and deepened. Otherwise, why make a stone arch (not in the ground) and then destroy it?

I expressed my opinion on the photos that I looked through. Maybe I'm wrong, and when the branches were laid, everything was built from scratch, and the old tunnels were only dismantled.