July 27th - Weighing 7.5 tonnes, the bridge is made from 281 cardboard tubes, each 11.5 centimetres (four inches) across and 11.9 millimetres thick. The steps are recycled paper and plastic and the foundations wooden boxes packed with sand. It is the invention of the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, iconic for his use of eco-friendly and lightweight materials in colloboration with l'Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Montpellier.

The cardboard bridge, located over the Gardon River in southern France, is strong enough to carry 20 people at a time. Balloons filled with 1.5 tonnes of water were used to test its resistance, said Ban's assistant Marc Ferrand.

The bridge is located half a mile from the monumental Pont du Gard -- a section of ancient Roman bridge classed as a World Heritage site, creating an curious juxtaposition. “It is a very interesting contrast, the Roman stone bridge and the paper bridge. Paper too can be permanent, can be strong and lasting. We need to get rid of these prejudices,” Ban said.

The cardboard masterpiece will be open for 6 weeks to the public.

Born in 1957 in Tokyo, Shigeru Ban made a name by designing cardboard shelters for use by earthquake victims in Japan, Turkey and India and by refugees following the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The Gardon River (namesake of the Gard department) is 133 km long including its longest tributary "Gardon de Saint-Jean". It rises in the Cévennes and ends into the Rhône River (right side tributary) at Beaucaire, across from Vallabrègues. Several of its tributaries are also called Gardon.