The term viaduct - used here to refer to the Clécy or La Lande viaduct in the Calvados department - is built from the Latin suffix -via (way or road) and duc, derived from ductus from the Latin verb ducere (to lead). The word, borrowed from English, appeared in French in the 19th century. Its etymology gives its definition: a structure intended to support a passageway, whether it is a railway line for the passage of trains or a road for lighter vehicles, and to cross natural obstacles. (valley, river, or gorges).