On some bridges, vacations hinge on a few inches. Over the Garonne, between Sénestis and Le Mas-d’Agenais, a touring caravan rolled along quietly. Its journey ended with a clang of metal. In early September 2026, on this span already infamous for its tight clearances, a caravan wedged itself into the metal framework. Traffic was blocked for several minutes.
This suspension bridge on the D6 leaves no doubt about its limits. Metal gate-like posts filter access and remind of a maximum 2.30 m wide and 2.90 m high clearance. These constraints have already sparked incidents almost weekly. That day, a Dutch tourist was towing a caravan with his car. He thought he could still squeeze through this old bridge in the Lot-et-Garonne. His car made it through. The trailer did not. And behind the unusual scene lies a very real truth: the limits of these structures—and how a towing setup behaves.
Suspension Bridge between Sénestis – Le Mas-d’Agenais: a clearance that spares no one
The suspension bridge that connects Sénestis to Le Mas-d’Agenais is part of the D6 department road. It spans the Garonne with a narrow roadway, flanked by metal structures. They set the tone even before you commit to the crossing. The structure underwent a recent renovation, funded at about 1.1 million euros by the Departmental Council of Lot-et-Garonne. Its clearance remains deliberately limited to protect the structure. Vehicles exceeding 2.30 m in width or 2.90 m in height are simply not allowed to pass.
Despite this clear signage, risky behavior remains frequent on this stretch. On September 7, 2026, the driver from the Netherlands entered the bridge with his hitch. He thought it would pass. The car managed to slip between the limiting gates, albeit with a tight clearance. The caravan, however, did not follow the same path. It ended up wedged between the metal structures, literally embedded in the frame. With a long hitch, the slightest deviation is enough to widen the trajectory of the trailer.
Autonomous caravan, bridge blocked: ten minutes of mayhem on the D6
Once the hitch was immobilized, the bridge was shut in both directions. For about ten minutes, queues formed on either side of the Garonne. Some motorists got out, visibly irritated by this latest mishap on the site. Others watched the scene, half-amused, half-incredulous. To clear the span, the driver unhitched the caravan. It was equipped with an autonomous electric system, which allowed it to move on its own at a very slow pace. The maneuver required a degree of finesse to keep the caravan on the right track in that already narrow metal corridor.
The tow vehicle, for its part, did not emerge from this encounter with the gate unscathed. The bodywork damage echoed what has befallen other drivers who have pushed the limits with oversized rigs. On this bridge, incidents repeat themselves almost weekly. For the caravan’s owner, the vacation ended with an obligatory stop at the body shop—and a bill that’s easy to imagine would be steep. For motorists traveling the region with caravans or motorhomes, this episode serves mainly as a reminder. Before taking on a narrow structure, you must know the dimensions of your setup and read the signs carefully. And sometimes you have to accept turning back rather than risking wrecking everything.
