[1] Prior to the opening of the aqueduct in 1858, the Canal du Midi traversed a short section of the Orb itself.

The opening of the aqueduct allowed boats to avoid the river , which was unpredictable and sometimes dangerous, and often caused extended delays.

Permission for the new works was granted by a decree of Emperor Napoleon III in June 1854 and the construction was completed by May 1856 and opened for use in 1858.

[2] The aqueduct is built of stone with seven spans and carries the canal in a masonry trough sealed with a layer of concrete.

[2] The map shows Pierre-Paul Riquet's original course dropping down the Fonserannes Staircase, through the Notre Dame Lock, entering the Orb and leaving again a few hundred metres downstream.