Millau Viaduct
From Archiplanet
 | Millau Viaduct |
| Designer | Norman Foster |
| Location | Millau, Tarn Valley |
| Date | 1987 to December 14, 2004 |
| Building Type | highway bridge, viaduct |
| Construction System | cast-in-place concrete, precast concrete, steel cables |
| Climate | temperate |
| Context | rural |
| Architectural Style | High Tech Modern |
| Street Address | |
| Notes | "Viaduc de Millau". World's tallest bridge, 2004. |
| At Great Buildings | http://www.GreatBuildings.com/buildings/Millau_Viaduct.html |
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| Bridge Details | |
| Client | French Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Housing, Tourism and Sea |
| Current Owner | French Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Housing, Tourism and Sea |
| Crosses | River Tarn |
| Carries | A75 |
| Traffic | Vehicular |
| Bridge Design | Cable-stayed |
| Traffic | Vehicular |
| Height | 343m (1,125 feet) |
| Length | 2,460 meters (8,071 feet) |
| Width | 32 meters (105 feet) |
| Clearance Beneath | 270 meters (886 feet) |
| Number of Spans | 8 |
| Length of Longest Span | 342 meters (1,122 feet) |
| Number of Decks | 1 |
| Cost | 400 Million Euro (2004) |
Officially opened December 14, 2004.
'"The Millau Viaduct is a magnificent example, in the long and great French tradition, of audacious works of art, a tradition begun at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries by the great Gustave Eiffel," [President of France Jacques Chirac] told a reception.
'The highest of the bridge's seven concrete pillars stands at 1,125 feet, 62 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower. At almost 1.5 miles, it is longer than the Champs Elysees and slightly curved to afford drivers a dramatic view of the surrounding countryside and the ancient town of Millau with its medieval bell tower.
'"The whole thing looks impossibly delicate," Foster said in a telephone interview of what he called his "sculpture in the landscape," a $523 million project financed by construction firm Eiffage.
'"It is a dialogue between nature and the man-made," he said.
'The engineering feat has drawn rapturous praise for its elegant lines, which allow it to blend seamlessly into the surrounding region famed for its gorges, medieval villages and Roquefort cheese.'
— Denis Thomas and Joelle Diderich, Reuters
Related Content at Wikipedia
Millau Viaduct
See a related page at Wikipedia for additional information.
Maps
References
External Links
- "Special Issue - Gallery of Bridges" by ArchitectureWeek, ArchitectureWeek No. 368, 2008.0213, p D1.1.
- Millau Viaduct - Photos and text at architect's web site.
- Viaduc de Millau Gallery - with many images, text in French
- Millau Viaduct - Video at YouTube
- Le Viaduc de Millau
