A first bridge was built between 1854 and 1856 by Napoleon III in commemoration of his first victory in the Crimea in 1854 and also to favour the development of the first Parisian World Fair. At the beginning of the 1960s the bridge experienced some 80cm of subsidence. Moreover, it was too narrow for both road and river traffic. The transformation work took place during the whole of 1970. To avoid the problems of subsidence that had affected the first bridge, the foundations were sunk to a depth of 40 metres and the outer supports of the bridge were established on posts of reinforced concrete. The statue of the Zouave [French soldier] was replaced on the cutwater of the single pier while the other figures were dispersed in the provinces. Since August 1998 and the tragic fatal death of Princess Diana of England the bridge has become known all over the world.