Descending from Cecanibbi into Pian di San Martino, and then out towards the road to Orvieto, in the distance you can see the remnants of a metal bridge that, until the 1980s, was—with the exception of a ferry—the only means of crossing the Tiber until you reached Ponte Cuti, a mile or so further west.
The structure, relocated to this site from Valdarno in 1953, is a British “Bailey” bridge, installed by the Allies in the second world war.
The bridge has recently undergone a major €1.2m restoration, with new concrete anchors at either end, guard rails, decking and lighting, opening up a new crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists to the river walk connecting Cecanibbi to Ponte Rio. On the eastern bank is a new park forming part of a wider regeneration of the town.
