Yesterday while I was watching an episode of Top Gear, they showed the Millau Bridge which is in France. This is a feat of engineering and takes passengers almost 1000 feet above the Tarn River valley across 1.6 miles.

Jeremy Clarkson humorously pointed out that while the French President spoke of how this is indicative of France’s move towards the future; he forgot to mention that is was designed by a British architect, Norman Foster.

Hyperventilatingly cool new bridge in France. Millau Bridge (formally known as le Viaduc de Millau), is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world. Opened in December 2004, it stretches 1.6miles/2.6km long and hovers 885ft/270m above the Tarn valley in southern France. The steel-and-concrete bridge rests on 7 pillars, with the tallest one reaching 1,122ft/375m. Its architect, Sir Norman Foster, has said driving across it should feel like “flying a car”. Built in 3 years, it provides an alternative route from northern Europe to southern France and Spain. The guardian’s got more pics and you can check out the official site including the tourist office for things to do/see in the area.

Millau Bridge: tourist information, map, travel plans and gites

Guide to Millau bridge

Millau Bridge (officially Millau Viaduct) is a road-bridge spanning the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. It was designed by the renowned 'modern architect' Norman Foster, working with French engineer Michel Virlogeux.

Among other remarkable features it is the tallest vehicle bridge in the world. The highest pier has a height falling between that of the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. The viaduct is nearly twice as tall as the previous tallest vehicular bridge in Europe, the Europabrücke in Austria.

The Millau bridge was opened to traffic on 16 December 2004 to immediate fame and acclaim.

Millau Viaduct is located in Millau, Languedoc. The bridge was built to relieve heavy congestion on the roads during the summer holiday season - it is the last section of the A75 motorway thet leads to the Mediterranean coastal resorts.

The Millau bridge falls inside the Grands Causses regional natural park.

In addition to being a major improvement to the road system in the region, the bridge has also received critical acclaim and become an immediate tourist attraction in its own right.

A stunning spectacle, the bridge is well worth visiting in its own right. There are a few viewing points - above and below the bridge - but you are not permitted to stop on the bridge itself (it's an autoroute).

Millau Viaduct

Worlds tallest vehicular bridge

The Millau Viaduct (French: le Viaduc de Millau) is a cable stayed road bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. It was formally opened on 14 December 2004 and opened to traffic on 16 December 2004. Designed by British master-architect Lord Foster in collaboration with French bridge engineer Michel Virlogeux, it is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one piers summit at 1,118 ft (341 metres), slightly higher than the Eiffel Tower and only 132 ft (40 m) shorter than the Empire State Building.

Design

The Millau Viaduct consists of an eight-span steel roadway supported by seven concrete piers. The roadway weighs 36,000 metric tons and is 2,460 m (8,071 ft) long, measuring 32 m (105 ft) wide by 4.2 m (13.8 ft) deep. The six central spans each measure 342 m (1,122 ft) with the two outer spans measuring 204 m (670 ft). The roadway has a slight slope of 3% descending from south to north, and curves in plan section on a 20 km (12.4 mile) radius to give drivers better visibility. It carries two lanes of traffic in each direction.