Le viaduc de Millau Bridge,France

 

Millau Viaduct (French Le Viaduc de Millau) is one of the tallest and most famous cable-stayed bridges in the world. It crosses the Tarn Valley near the town of Millau in southern France.

- Key Facts -

- Opened: 2004

- Total length: about 2.46 km (1.53 miles)

- Tallest mast: 343 meters (1,125 ft), taller than the Eiffel Tower

- Purpose:  Carries the A75 motorway, improving travel between Paris and the Mediterranean coast.

- Design & Engineering -

The bridge was designed by French engineer Michel Virlogeux and architect Norman Foster. Its elegant, slender design helps it blend with the landscape while resisting strong valley winds.

- Interesting Features -

- It appears to “float above the clouds” on misty mornings.

- The bridge has seven tall pylons supporting the roadway with steel cables.

- It greatly reduced traffic congestion through Millau town.

- Tourism -

The viaduct has become a major tourist attraction in southern France. Visitors often stop at:

- the viewing area near the bridge,

- the visitor center,

- and nearby scenic points in the Tarn Valley.

 This contest is also special in a way, that the bridges to be build have a real life archetype

 The Viaduc de Millau! The level is a model of the original landscape and the 

distances between the anchor points are scaled to fit to the real ones.

 The real Viaduc de Millau has a length of 2,460 m and is based on seven piers

 of the following heights: P1: 94.50 m; P2: 244.96 m; P3: 221.05 m; P4: 144.21 m;

 P5: 136.42 m; P6: 111.94 m; P7: 77.56 m. The bridge is cable stayed with pylons of 87 m height

 placed on top of each pier. The width of each span is 342 m. Well, enough numbers, just watch