Since ancient times, a road has linked Pont-Audemer to Bayeux through the present-day town of Bénouville. This route crossed the river Orne via a ferry, a flat-bottomed boat.

From the 11th century, the port of Caen appears in the chronicles. From the Middle Ages onwards, this port was a dynamic port, already in contact with England. The Westminster Abbey, built in London in the 13th century, is an illustration of this: it was mostly built from stones originating from the town of Caen.

In 1811, Emperor Napoleon I, after a short stay in Caen, ordered the immediate study of a straightening of the Orne, pending the construction of a canal between Caen and the sea.

The 14 km canal linking Caen to Ouistreham was inaugurated on 1 July 1857.

At Bénouville, this canal was equipped with a swing bridge, permitted road traffic between the two banks and maritime navigation.