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The Millau Viaduct (French: le Viaduc de Millau) is a large cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. Designed by the civil engineer Michel Virlogeux, it is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at 343 metres (1,125 ft) — slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 38 m (125 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building. The viaduct is part of the A75-A71 autoroute axis from Paris to Béziers. It was formally dedicated on 14 December 2004 and opened to traffic two days later. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,304 × 1,728 pixels, file size: 1. ... The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ... The Tarn River (from the Latin tarnis meaning rapid or walled in) is a 375 kilometre (235 miles) long tributary river of the Garonne, and flows through the départements of Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon région), Aveyron, and then the eponymous Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, the... Millau is a town and commune of southern France. ... A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns (normally referred to as towers or pylons), with cables supporting the bridge deck. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns (normally referred to as towers or pylons), with cables supporting the bridge deck. ... Torontos Bloor Street Viaduct bridges the Don valley; road traffic uses the upper deck, rail traffic uses the lower deck. ... The Tarn River (from the Latin tarnis meaning rapid or walled in) is a 375 kilometre (235 miles) long tributary river of the Garonne, and flows through the départements of Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon région), Aveyron, and then the eponymous Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, the... Millau is a town and commune of southern France. ... Michel Virlogeux was the chief engineer in the construction of the Millau Viaduct. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River in Paris. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City, New York at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. ... Torontos Bloor Street Viaduct bridges the Don valley; road traffic uses the upper deck, rail traffic uses the lower deck. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Béziers (Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Construction records

The bridge’s construction broke three world records:

• The highest pylons in the world: pylons P2 and P3, 244.96 metres (803 ft 8 in) and 221.05 metres (725 ft 3 in) in height respectively, broke the French record previously held by the Tulle and Verrières Viaducts (141 m/460 ft), and the world record previously held by the Kochertal Viaduct (Germany), which is 181 metres (590 ft) at its highest;
• The highest mast in the world: the mast atop pylon P2 peaks at 343 metres (1,130 ft).
• The highest road bridge deck in the world, 270 m (890 ft) above the Tarn River at its highest point. It is nearly twice as tall as the previous tallest vehicular bridge in Europe, the Europabrücke in Austria. It is slightly higher than the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia in the United States, which is 267 m (880 ft) above the New River. Only the bridge deck of the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, United States (mainly a pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River, occasionally also used by motor vehicles) is higher with 321 m (1,050 ft), and is considered the highest bridge in the world.
  

  Panoramic view of Millau Viaduct from south-east side

The record for highest bridge deck in the world is likely to be taken by the Chenab Bridge in the Reasi District of Jammu and Kashmir, India, scheduled for completion in December 2009, which will be 359 metres (1,180 ft) high. ^[1] Kochertalbrücke On the Kochertalbrücke (literal translation Kocher Valley Bridge) near Schwäbisch Hall the Autobahn 6 crosses the Kocher valley between Heilbronn and Nuremberg. ... The Tarn River (from the Latin tarnis meaning rapid or walled in) is a 375 kilometre (235 miles) long tributary river of the Garonne, and flows through the départements of Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon région), Aveyron, and then the eponymous Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, the... Europabrücke, or Europes bridge, is a 777m long bridge spanning the 657m Wipp valley just south of Innsbruck, Austria. ... The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel-arch bridge, in Fayetteville, West Virginia, USA. With a length of 3030 feet (924 m), it was for many years the longest in the world of that type. ... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Demonym West Virginian Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Largest metro area Charleston metro area Area  Ranked 41st in the US  - Total 24,230 sq mi (62,755 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... The New River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long, in the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia in the United States. ... Royal Gorge in 1987 The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within a 360 acre (1. ... Official language(s) English Demonym Coloradan Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th in the US  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... The Arkansas River flows through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1976x993, 326 KB) Summary Panorama of Millau viaduct in September 2005; view from south-east side Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1976x993, 326 KB) Summary Panorama of Millau viaduct in September 2005; view from south-east side Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Reasi is one of the oldest towns of the J&K State. ... This article is about the area administered by India. ...

Location

Millau Viaduct is located in Millau, France, in the Département of Aveyron. Before the bridge was constructed, traffic had to descend into the Tarn River valley and pass along the route nationale N9 near the town of Millau, causing heavy congestion at the beginning and end of the July and August vacation season. The bridge now traverses the Tarn valley above its lowest point, linking the Causse du Larzac to the Causse Rouge, and is inside the perimeter of the Grands Causses regional natural park. The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties. ... Aveyron (Occitan: Avairon) is a department in southern France named after the Aveyron River. ... The Tarn River (from the Latin tarnis meaning rapid or walled in) is a 375 kilometre (235 miles) long tributary river of the Garonne, and flows through the départements of Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon région), Aveyron, and then the eponymous Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, the... A route nationale, or simply nationale, is a trunk road in France. ... The Route nationale 9 (RN-9) is a highway in France and Moulins in the Loire Valley and the frontier with Spain. ... The Causse du Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France. ...

The bridge forms the last link of the A75 autoroute, (la Méridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand to Pézenas (to be extended to Béziers by 2010). The A75, with the A10 and A71, provides a continuous high-speed route south from Paris through Clermont-Ferrand to the Languedoc region and through to Spain, considerably reducing the cost of vehicle traffic travelling along this route. Many tourists heading to southern France and Spain follow this route because it is direct and without tolls for the 340 kilometres (210 mi) between Clermont-Ferrand and Pézenas, except for the bridge itself. The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ... An autoroute. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... Pézenas is a commune of the Hérault département, in France. ... Béziers (Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... For the language called Langue doc, see Occitan language. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... “km” redirects here. ... “Miles” redirects here. ...

The Eiffage group operates the viaduct as a toll bridge, with the toll currently (Feb 2008) set at €5.60 for light automobiles (€7.40 during the peak months of July and August). The bridge was constructed by the Eiffage group, under a government contract which allows the company to collect tolls for up to 75 years. Eiffage (Euronext: FGR) is a french construction company. ... Paying toll on passing a bridge. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Eiffage (Euronext: FGR) is a french construction company. ...

North-South axes

The four route options for Perpignan–Paris

As of 2007, there are four north-south routes, or axes, traversing France: Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 643 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1753 × 1635 pixel, file size: 1,011 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Trajets Perpignan / Paris empruntant les 4 autoroutes Nord-Sud Dessins des tracés réalisés par Nepomuk sur un fond de carte Wiki common... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 643 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1753 × 1635 pixel, file size: 1,011 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Trajets Perpignan / Paris empruntant les 4 autoroutes Nord-Sud Dessins des tracés réalisés par Nepomuk sur un fond de carte Wiki common...

• In the east, the Paris-Lyon-Vallée du Rhône route using the A6 and A7 autoroutes;
• In the west, the Paris-Bordeaux-Agen-Toulouse route using the A10 and A62 autoroutes;
• Centrally, west of the Massif Central, the Vierzon-Limoges-Brive-Toulouse route using the A20;
• Centrally, through the Massif central and using the Millau Viaduct, the Clermont-Ferrand-Béziers route using the A75.

This article is about the capital of France. ... This article is about the French city. ... Rhône can refer to: Rhône River Rhône (département) in France Rhône (Wine Region) in France This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The A6, also known as the Autoroute du Soleil (along with the A7), is an Autoroute in France, linking Paris to Lyon. ... Location of the A7 in France This article is about the French motorway A7, for information about other roads of the same name, or other meanings, click here. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... For other uses, see Bordeaux (disambiguation). ... For the Agen meteorite of 1814, see Meteorite falls. ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... The A10 Héron Cendré service station The A10 southbound between exits 13 and 14. ... The A62 autoroute is a French motorway forming part of the Autoroute de Deux Mers. ... France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission. ... Location within France Vierzon is a large French industrial town with a population of around 30,000 in the Cher département, located at 02° 04 10 E, 47° 13 21 N. The town lies on four important highways and two major train lines, and is close to the For... This article is about the French commune. ... Brive-la-Gaillarde is a commune of France. ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... The A20 autoroute or LOccitane is a highway through central France. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... Béziers (Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. ... The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ...

A75 autoroute

Construction started in 1975 and was finished in 2004 when the Millau Viaduct went into service.

The new A75 autoroute, complementing the A71 from Orléans to Clermont-Ferrand, created a fourth route through France and has several advantages: The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ... The A71 autoroute is a motorway in central France. ... Orléans (Latin, meaning golden) is a city and commune in north-central France, about 130 km (80 miles) southwest of Paris. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ...

• It relieves traffic congestion in the Rhone Valley which connects Northern Europe with Spain and Portugal, and allows holiday-makers to reach the Mediterranean quickly;
• It also opens up the Massif Central and the town of Clermont-Ferrand to the south;
• It enhances the French motorway network and, in a wider perspective, facilitates travel between Northern Europe and the Île de France on one hand, and on the other, Spain and the west Mediterranean region.

This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Length 800 km Elevation of the source 1753 m Average discharge 1800 m³/s Area watershed 100,200 km² Origin  Rhône glacier Mouth  Mediterranean Sea Basin countries Switzerland, France The River Rhône (French Rhône, Occitan Ròse, Franco-Provençal Roun, standard German Rhone, Valais German Rotten... Northern Europe Northern Europe is the northern part of the European continent. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... Map The Autoroute system in France consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities. ... This article is about the French administrative region. ...

Bypassing Tarn at Millau

The Tarn flows from the east to the west of France, south of the Massif Central, bisecting the country's North-South axis. The Tarn River (from the Latin tarnis meaning rapid or walled in) is a 375 kilometre (235 miles) long tributary river of the Garonne, and flows through the départements of Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon région), Aveyron, and then the eponymous Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, the... France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission. ...

For nearly thirty years prior to the construction of the Millau Viaduct, the A75 autoroute had remained unfinished. Before the bridge, a crossing of the River Tarn was provided by a bridge situated in the valley bottom, in the town of Millau. Millau was then known and dreaded as a ‘great black spot’ of motoring. Kilometres of congestion and hours of waiting to transit the town recurred each year with the great surge in traffic in summer months. These slowdowns meant that the advantages of the A75 were lost. The A75 was meant to be a positive example of spatial planning, a modern, direct highway entirely free along its 340 km (210 mi) length. As it was, the traffic from the autoroute brought pollution and danger to the town of Millau. The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ... Congestion is a state of excessive accumulation or overfilling or overcrowding. ... Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. ...

Design and construction of the bridge took a long time. In this region, climatic conditions are tough, with violent winds. Geological characteristics of the high plateaus of Larzac are peculiar, and, because the Tarn Valley is so deep, crossing is difficult. Different approaches were investigated, and all of them were found to be very technically demanding. Ten years of research and four years of implementation were required for completion of the Millau Viaduct. The Causse du Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France. ...

Description

The Millau Viaduct consists of an eight-span steel roadway supported by seven concrete pylons. The roadway weighs 36,000 tons and is 2,460 m (8,100 ft) long, measuring 32 m (100 ft) wide by 4.2 m (14 ft) deep, making it the world's longest cable-stayed deck. The six central spans each measure 342 m (1,120 ft) with the two outer spans measuring 204 m (670 ft). The roadway has a slope of 3% descending from south to north, and curves in a plane section with a 20 km (12 mi) radius to give drivers better visibility. It carries two lanes of traffic and one safety lane in each direction. Torontos Bloor Street Viaduct bridges the Don valley; road traffic uses the upper deck, rail traffic uses the lower deck. ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see South (disambiguation). ... Look up North in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The pylons range in height from 77 m (250 ft) to 246 m (810 ft), and taper in their longitudinal section from 24.5 m (80 ft) at the base to 11 m (36 ft) at the deck. Each pylon is composed of 16 framework sections, each weighing 2,230 tons. These sections were assembled on site from pieces of 60 tons, 4 m (13 ft) wide and 17 m (56 ft) long, made in factories in Lauterbourg and Fos-sur-Mer by Eiffage. The pylons each support 97 m (320 ft) tall masts. Lauterbourg is a French commune in the département of Bas-Rhin and the région of Alsace. ... Fos-sur-Mer is a French commune, situated in the département Bouches-du-Rhône and the region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur. ... Eiffage (Euronext: FGR) is a french construction company. ...

The pylons were assembled first, together with some intermediate temporary pylons, before the decks were slid out across the piers by satellite-guided hydraulic rams that moved the deck 600 mm every 4 minutes. Then the masts were driven over the new deck, erected on top of the pylons, connected to the deck and the temporary pylons removed.

Construction began on 10 October 2001 and was intended to take three years, but weather conditions put work on the bridge behind schedule. A revised schedule aimed for the bridge to be opened in January 2005. The viaduct was inaugurated by President Chirac on 14 December 2004 to open for traffic on 16 December, several weeks ahead of the revised schedule. is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... “Chirac” redirects here. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The construction of the bridge was depicted in an episode of the National Geographic Channel "MegaStructures" series. The National Geographic Channel is a subscription television network that features documentaries produced by the National Geographic Society. ... MegaStructures is a television program appearing on the National Geographic Channel and Channel 5 in the United Kingdom. ...

Pylons and abutments

Each pylon is supported by four deep shafts, 15 m (49 ft) deep and 5 m (16 ft) in diameter.

The abutments are concrete structures that provide anchorage for the deck to the ground in the Causse du Larzac and the Causse Rouge. An Abutment is the end supports of a bridge superstructure. ... The Causse du Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France. ...

Deck

The metallic deck, which appears very light despite its total mass of around 36,000 metric tons (40,000 short tons), is 2,460 m (8,100 ft) long and 32 m (100 ft) wide. It comprises eight spans. The six central spans measure 342 m (1,120 ft), and the two outer spans are 204 metres (670 ft). These are composed of 173 central box beams, the spinal column of the construction, onto which the lateral floors and the lateral box beams were welded. The central box beams have a 4 m (13 ft) cross-section and a length of 15–22 m (49-72 ft) for a total weight of 90 metric tons (99 short tons). The deck has an inverse airfoil shape, providing negative lift in strong wind conditions. This article is about the metric tonne. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ... This article is about the metric tonne. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ... For the kite, see foil kite. ...

Masts

The seven masts, each 87 m (290 ft) high and weighing around 700 metric tons (770 short tons), are set on top of the pylons. Between each of them, eleven stays (metal cables) are anchored, providing support for the road deck.

Stays

Each mast of the viaduct is equipped with a monoaxial layer of eleven pairs of stays laid face to face. Depending on their length, the stays were made of 55 to 91 high tensile steel cables, or strands, themselves formed of seven strands of steel (a central strand with six intertwined strands). Each strand has triple protection against corrosion (galvanisation, a coating of petroleum wax and an extruded polyethylene sheath). The exterior envelope of the stays is itself coated along its entire length with a double helical weatherstrip. The idea is to avoid running water which, in high winds, could cause vibration in the stays and compromise the stability of the viaduct. For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... For the hazard, see corrosive. ... Galvanization, named after the Italian scientist Luigi Galvani, was originally the administration of electric shocks (in the 19th century also termed Faradism, after Michael Faraday). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The stays were installed by the Freyssinet company. Eugène Freyssinet (13 July 1879 – 8 June 1962) was a French structural and civil engineer. ...

Surface To allow for deformations of the metal deck under traffic, a special surface of modified bitumen was installed by research teams from Appia. The surface is somewhat flexible to adapt to deformations in the steel deck without cracking, but it must nevertheless have sufficient strength to withstand motorway conditions (fatigue, density, texture, adherence, anti-rutting, etc.). The "ideal formula" was found only after ten years of research. Ewer from Iran, dated 1180-1210CE. Composed of brass worked in repoussé and inlaid with silver and bitumen. ... Adolphe Appia (* September 1, 1862 in Geneva; † February 29, 1928 in Nyon), son of Red Cross co-founder Louis Appia, was a Swiss architect and theorist of stage lighting and décor. ...

Electrical installations

The electrical installations of the viaduct are impressive, in proportion to the immensity of the bridge. There are 30 km (19 mi) of high-current cables, 20 km (12 mi) of fibre optics, 10 km (6.2 mi) of low-current cables and 357 telephone sockets allowing maintenance teams to communicate with each other and with the command post. These are situated on the deck, on the pylons and on the masts. Fiber Optic strands An optical fiber in American English or fibre in British English is a transparent thin fiber for transmitting light. ...

As far as instrumentation is concerned, the viaduct is state of the art. The pylons, deck, masts and stays are equipped with a multitude of sensors. These are designed to detect the slightest movement in the viaduct and measure its resistance to wear-and-tear over time. Anemometers, accelerometers, inclinometers, temperature sensors are all used for the instrumentation network. A hemispherical cup anemometer of the type invented in 2000 by John Thomas Romney Robinson An anemometer is a device for measuring the velocity or the pressure of the wind, and is one instrument used in a weather station. ... A depiction of an accelerometer designed at Sandia National Laboratories. ... Compass with inclinometer An inclinometer or clinometer is an instrument for measuring angles of slope (or tilt), elevation or inclination of an object with respect to gravity. ...

Twelve fibre optic extensometers were installed in the base of pylon P2. The tallest of all, it is therefore under the most intense stress. These sensors detect movements on the order of a micrometre. Other extensometers — electrical this time — are distributed on top of P2 and P7. This apparatus is capable of taking up to 100 readings per second. In high winds, they continuously monitor the reactions of the viaduct to extreme conditions. Accelerometers placed strategically on the deck monitor the oscillations that can affect the metal structure. Displacements of the deck on the abutment level are measured to the nearest millimetre. The stays are also instrumented, and their ageing meticulously analysed. Additionally, two piezoelectric sensors gather traffic data: weight of vehicles, average speed, density of the flow of traffic, etc. This system can distinguish between fourteen different types of vehicle. Fiber Optic strands An optical fiber in American English or fibre in British English is a transparent thin fiber for transmitting light. ... Extensometer is a device that is used to measure small/big changes in the length of an object. ... Stress is a measure of force per unit area within a body. ... A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer, symbol µm) is an SI unit of length equal to one millionth of a metre, or about a tenth of the diameter of a droplet of mist or fog. ... Piezoelectricity is the ability of certain crystals to produce a voltage when subjected to mechanical stress. ...

The data are transmitted by an Ethernet network to a computer in the IT room at the management building situated near the toll plaza. Ethernet is a large, diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies that operate at many speeds for local area networks (LANs). ... A computer network is an interconnection of a group of computers. ... This article is about the machine. ... Look up It in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A toll road, turnpike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a fee for use. ...

Toll plaza

The only toll plaza on the A75 autoroute, the bridge toll booths and the buildings for the commercial and technical management teams are situated 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the viaduct. The toll plaza is protected by a canopy in the shape of a leaf (formed from tendrilled concrete, using the ceracem process). Consisting of 53 elements (voussoirs), the canopy is 100 m (330 ft) long and 28 m (92 ft) wide. It weighs around 2,500 metric tons (2,800 short tons). A toll road, turnpike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a fee for use. ... The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ... This article is about the construction material. ... An element in an arch. ... This article is about the metric tonne. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ...

The toll plaza can accommodate sixteen lanes of traffic, eight in each direction. At times of low traffic volume, the central booth is capable of servicing vehicles in both directions. A car park and viewing station, equipped with public toilets, is situated each side of the toll plaza. The total cost was €20 million. In telecommunication networks, traffic volume is a measure of the total work done by a resource or facility, normally over 24 hours, and is measured in units of erlang-hours. ... Parking lot is the American English term that refers to a cleared area that is more or less level and is intended for parking vehicles. ... The euro (€; ISO 4217 code EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. ...

Preliminary studies

Chronology

Pylons under construction

• 1987: Establishment of the first plans by CETE of Aix-en-Provence;
• 19 October 1991: Choice of the high crossing of the Tarn River by a structure of around 2,500 m (8,200 ft);
• 1993–1994: Separate consultations with seven architects and eight structural engineers;
• 1995–1996: Second definition study with five associated architect groups and structural engineers;
• 10 January 1995: Declaration of public interest;
• 9 July 1996: The jury decides in favour of a cable-stayed design with multiple spans, as proposed by the Sogelerg consortium (Michel Virlogeux and Norman Foster);
• 20 May 1998: Decision to proceed by grant of contract;
• 8 June 2000: Launch of the contest for the construction contract, open to four consortia;
• March 2001: Eiffage establishes the subsidiary Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau (CEVM) and is declared winner of the contest and awarded the prime contract;
• August 2001: Ratification by the State Council on the project, allotting the contract to Eiffage by ministerial decree ;
• 8 October 2001: Decree formally approving the grant of contract.

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Possible routes

Routes of the four projects of the A75 autoroute around Millau

In initial studies, four options were examined: Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 536 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (649 × 726 pixel, file size: 128 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 536 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (649 × 726 pixel, file size: 128 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

1. An option called Great Eastern (grand Est) ( yellow route ) passing east of Millau and crossing the valleys of the Tarn and Dourbie on two very high and long bridges (spans of 800 m/2,600 ft and 1,000 m/3,300 ft) whose construction was acknowledged to be problematic. This option would have allowed access to Millau only from the Larzac plateau using the long and tortuous descent from La Cavalerie. Although this option was shorter and better suited to the through traffic, it was abandoned because it did not serve the needs of Millau and its area satisfactorily.
2. An option called the Great Western (grand Ouest) ( black route ), longer than the eastern option by 12 km (7.5 mi), following the Cernon valley. Technically easier (requiring four viaducts), this solution was judged to have negative impacts on the environment, in particular on the picturesque villages of Peyre and Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon. More expensive than the preceding option, and serving the region badly, this option was also abandoned.
3. An option called near RN9 (proche de la RN9) ( red route ), would have served the town of Millau well, but presented technical difficulties and would have had a strong impact on existing or planned structures. This option was also abandoned.
4. An option called intermediate (médiane), west of Millau ( blue route ) had the blessing of local opinion, but presented geological difficulties, notably on the question of crossing the valley of the Tarn. Expert investigation concluded that these obstacles were not insurmountable.

The fourth option was selected by the ministerial decree on 28 June 1989. It encompassed two possibilities: Millau is a town and commune of southern France. ... The Tarn River (from the Latin tarnis meaning rapid or walled in) is a 375 kilometre (235 miles) long tributary river of the Garonne, and flows through the départements of Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon région), Aveyron, and then the eponymous Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, the... The Causse du Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France. ... Peyre is the name or part of the name of several communes in France: La Chaze-de-Peyre, in the Lozère département Peyre, in the Landes département Saint-Léger-de-Peyre, in the Lozère département Saint-Sauveur-de-Peyre, in the Lozère d... The Tarn River (from the Latin tarnis meaning rapid or walled in) is a 375 kilometre (235 miles) long tributary river of the Garonne, and flows through the départements of Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon région), Aveyron, and then the eponymous Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne départements, the... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

• the high solution, envisaging a 2,500 m (8,200 ft) viaduct more than 200 m (660 ft) above the river;
• the low solution, descending into the valley and crossing the river on a 200 m (660 ft) bridge, then a viaduct of 2,300 m (7,500 ft) extended by a tunnel on the Larzac side.

After long construction studies by the Ministry of Public Works, the low solution was abandoned because it would have intersected the water table, had a negative impact on the town, cost more, and lengthened the driving distance. The Causse du Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France. ...

The choice of the “high” solution was decided by ministerial decree on October 29, 2001. is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

After the choice of the high viaduct, five teams of architects and researchers worked on a technical solution. The concept and design for the bridge was devised by French designer Michel Virlogeux. He worked with the Dutch engineering firm ARCADIS, responsible for the structural engineering of the bridge. All Saints Chapel in the Cathedral Basilica of St. ... Michel Virlogeux was the chief engineer in the construction of the Millau Viaduct. ...

Choosing the definitive route

The view from underneath a pylon

The "high solution" required the construction of a 2,500 m (8,200 ft) long viaduct. Obviously, this would be the crown jewel of the entire A75 autoroute project. From 1991 to 1993, the structures division of Sétra, directed by Michel Virlogeux, carried out preliminary studies and examined the feasibility of a single structure spanning the valley. Taking into account technical, architectural and financial issues, the Administration of Roads then opened the question for competition between structural engineers and architects to widen the search for realistic designs. By July 1993, 17 structural engineers and 38 architects presented themselves as candidates for the preliminary studies. With the assistance of a multidisciplinary commission, the Administration of Roads selected 8 structural engineers for technical study and 7 architects for the architectural study. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 374 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Nepomuk. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 374 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Nepomuk. ... Torontos Bloor Street Viaduct bridges the Don valley; road traffic uses the upper deck, rail traffic uses the lower deck. ... The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ... Michel Virlogeux was the chief engineer in the construction of the Millau Viaduct. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ...

Choice of technical design

Simultaneously, a school of international experts representing a wide spectrum of expertise (technical, architectural and landscape), chaired by Jean-François Coste, was established to clarify the choices which had to be made. In February 1994, on the basis of proposals of the architects and structural engineers, and with support of the school of experts, five general designs were identified.

The competition was relaunched: five combinations of architects and structural engineers, drawn from the best candidates of the first phase, were formed to each conduct in-depth studies of one of the general designs. On 15 July 1996, Bernard Pons, minister of Public Works, announced the decision of the jury constituted of elected artists and experts and chaired by the director of highways, Christian Leyrit at the time. The solution of a suspended bridge, presented by the group of research bureaus Sogelerg, Europe Etudes Gecti and Serf and the group Norman Foster & Partners was declared the best. is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

Detailed studies were carried out by the successful consortium, steered by the highways authority until mid-1998. After wind tunnel tests, the shape of the road deck was altered and detailed corrections were made to the design of the pylons. When the details were eventually finalised, the whole design was approved in late 1998.

Contractors

Once the Ministry of Public Works had taken the decision to offer the construction and operation of the viaduct as a grant of contract, an international call for tenders was issued in 1999. Four consortia tendered:

• Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau (CEVM), led by Eiffage
• a consortium led by the Spanish company Dragados, with Skanska (Sweden), and Bec (France)
• Société du Viaduc de Millau, including the French companies ASF, Egis, GTM, Bouygues Travaux Publics, SGE, CDC Projets, Tofinso and the Italian company Autostrade
• a consortium led by Générale Routière, with Via GTI (France) and Cintra, Nesco, Acciona et Ferrovial Agroman (Spain).

The Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau, working with the architect Sir Norman Foster, was successful in obtaining the tender^[2]. The fact that the government had already taken the design work to an advanced stage meant that the technical uncertainties were considerably reduced. A further advantage was that it made the process of negotiating the contract easier, reducing public expense and speeding up construction, while minimising such design work as remained for the contractor. Eiffage (Euronext: FGR) is a french construction company. ... Grupo ACS, (Actividades de Construcción y Servicios, SA), is a Spanish company dedicated to civil and engineering construction, all types services and telecommunications. ... Work in progress on 30 St Mary Axe, one of Skanskas most high-profile contracts. ... Look up asf in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Egis or EGIS has a variety of meanings, including: An alternate spelling for aegis. ... National motto: El Pais De La Eterna Primavera The Country of The Eternal Spring Official language Spanish (Official) (23 indigenous languages have been officially recognised, but all transactions are in Spanish) Capital Guatemala City President Óscar Berger Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 103rd 108,890 km² 0. ... Bouygues (Euronext: EN) is a French industrial group listed on Euronext Paris. ... SGE may refer to: IATA airport code for Siegerland Airport Eintracht Frankfurt (Sportgemeinde Eintracht, abbreviated SGE) Stitchs Great Escape! Sven-Göran Eriksson Sun Grid Engine, in computing, an open source batch-queuing system. ... District Lisbon Mayor   - Party Fernando Seara PSD Area 316. ... Acciona Trasmediterránea is a Spanish ferry company. ... Ferrovial Group (Grupo Ferrovial) is a Spanish company involved in construction, infrastructure, real estate and related services. ... The Armadillo, Sir Norman Fosters Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank OM Kt (born June 1, 1935) is a British architect. ...

All the member companies of the Eiffage group had some role in the construction work. The construction consortium was made up of the Eiffage TP company for the concrete part, the Eiffel company for the steel roadway (Gustave Eiffel built the Garabit viaduct in 1884, a railway bridge in the neighboring Cantal département), and the ENERPAC company for the roadway's hydraulic supports. The engineering group Setec has authority in the project, with SNCF engineering having partial control. Eiffage (Euronext: FGR) is a french construction company. ... Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (December 15, 1832 – December 27, 1923; French pronunciation in IPA, in English usually pronounced ) was a French structural engineer and architect and a specialist of metallic structures. ... The Garabit Viaduct (Viaduc de Garabit in French) is a railroad arch bridge spanning the Truyère River near Ruynes en Margeride, Cantal, France, in the mountainous Massif Central region. ... For the cheese, see Cantal. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ... Setec Oy is the former Bank of Finlands banknote printer. ... SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français) (French National Railway Company) is a French public enterprise. ...

Appia was responsible for the job of the bituminous coating on the bridge deck, and Forclum for electrical installations. Management was handled by Eiffage Concessions. Adolphe Appia (* September 1, 1862 in Geneva; † February 29, 1928 in Nyon), son of Red Cross co-founder Louis Appia, was a Swiss architect and theorist of stage lighting and décor. ...

The only other business that had a notable role on the building site was Freyssinet, a subsidiary of the Vinci Group specialising in prestressing, which was entrusted with installing the cable stays and putting them under tension, while the prestress division of Eiffage was responsible for prestressing the pillar heads. Eugène Freyssinet (13 July 1879 – 8 June 1962) was a French structural and civil engineer. ... Traditional reinforced concrete is based on the use of steel reinforcement bars, rebar, inside poured concrete. ...

The steel deck and the hydraulic action of the deck (the technical solution that had been successful in the competition for the design of the metallic moving parts) were designed by the engineering firm Greisch (BEG) from Liège. They carried out the general calculations and the resistance calculations for winds of up to 225 km/h (140 mph). Liege or Liège has several meanings: A liege is the person or entity to which one has pledged allegiance. ...

The sliding shutter technology for the bridge piers came from PERI. PERI was founded in 1969 and is today one of the leading providers of formwork and scaffolding systems. ...

Costs and resources

The bridge's construction cost up to €394 million,^[3] with a toll plaza 6 km (3.7 mi) north of the viaduct costing an additional €20 million. The builders, Eiffage, financed the construction in return for a concession to collect the tolls for 75 years, until 2080.^[4] However, if the concession is very profitable, the French government can assume control of the bridge in 2044. Eiffage (Euronext: FGR) is a french construction company. ...

The project required about 127,000 cubic metres (166,000 cu yd) of concrete, 19,000 metric tons (21,000 short tons) of steel for the reinforced concrete, and 5,000 metric tons (5,500 short tons) of pre-stressed steel for the cables and shrouds. The builder claims that the bridge's lifetime will be at least 120 years. The cubic meter (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... The cubic yard (symbols yd³, cu. ...

Opposition

Satellite image of the route before construction of the bridge.

Numerous organizations opposed the project, including the WWF, France Nature Environnement, the national federation of motorway users, and Environmental Action. Opponents put forward several arguments: Image File history File links Size of this preview: 799 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (949 × 712 pixel, file size: 264 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Satellite view of the area around the Millau Viaduct (France) before it was constructed. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 799 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (949 × 712 pixel, file size: 264 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Satellite view of the area around the Millau Viaduct (France) before it was constructed. ... Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. ...

• The westernmost route would be better, longer by three kilometres but a third of the cost with its three more conventional structures.
• The objective of the viaduct would not be achieved; because of the toll, the viaduct would be little used and the project would not solve Millau's congestion problems.
• The project would never break even; toll income would never amortise the initial investment and the contractor would have to be supported by subsidies.
• The technical difficulties were too great and the bridge would be dangerous and unsustainable; the pylons, sitting on the shale of the Tarn Valley, would not support the structure adequately.
• The viaduct represented a detour, reducing the number of visitors passing through Millau and slowing its economy.

Shale Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. ...

Statistics

The Millau Viaduct Bridge

• 2,460 m (8,071 ft): total length of the roadway
• 7: number of piers
• 77 m (253 ft): height of Pier 7, the shortest
• 343 m (1,125 ft): height of Pier 2, the tallest (245 m/804 ft at the roadway's level)
• 87 m (285 ft): height of a mast
• 154: number of shrouds
• 270 m (886 ft): average height of the roadway
• 4.20 m (13 ft 9 in): thickness of the roadway
• 32.05 m (105 ft 2 in): width of the roadway
• 85,000 m³ (111,000 cu yd): total volume of concrete used
• 290,000 metric tons (320,000 short tons): total weight of the bridge
• 10,000–25,000 vehicles: estimated daily traffic
• €5.40–7.00: typical automobile toll, as of July 2007
• 20 km (12 mi): horizontal radius of curvature of the road deck

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses of this word, see Length (disambiguation). ... Height is the measurement of distance between a specified point and a corresponding plane of reference. ... For other uses, see Volume (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... July 2007 is the seventh month of that year. ...

Construction

Project timeline

The viaduct under construction, seen from the south in early 2004

• 16 October 2001: work begins
• 14 December 2001: laying of the first stone
• January 2002: laying pier foundations
• March 2002: start of work on the pier support C8
• June 2002: support C8 completed, start of work on piers
• July 2002: start of work on the foundations of temporary, height adjustable roadway supports
• August 2002: start of work on pier support C0
• September 2002: assembly of roadway begins
• November 2002: first piers complete
• 25 February–26 February 2003: laying of first pieces of roadway
• November 2003: completion of the last piers (Piers P2 at 245 m (800 ft) and P3 at 221 m (730 ft) are the highest piers in the world.)
• 28 May 2004: the pieces of roadway are several centimetres apart, their juncture to be accomplished within two weeks
• 2nd half of 2004: installation of the pylons and shrouds, removal of the temporary roadway supports
• 14 December 2004: official inauguration
• 16 December 2004: opening of the viaduct, ahead of schedule
• 10 January 2005: initial planned opening date

Southern part of the Millau Viaduct in France, while under construction in early 2004. ... Southern part of the Millau Viaduct in France, while under construction in early 2004. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Pylons and abutments

A pylon under construction

Two weeks after the laying of the first stone on 14 December 2001, the workers started to dig the deep shafts. There were 4 per pylon; 15 m (49 ft) deep and 5 m (16 ft) in diameter, assuring the stability of the pylons. --61.16.233.210 (talk) 21:40, 13 May 2008 (UTC). At the bottom of each pylon, a tread of 3–5 m (10-16 ft) in thickness was installed to reinforce the effect of the deep shafts. The 2,000 m³ (2,600 cu yd) of concrete necessary for the treads was poured at the same time. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 444 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1044 × 1408 pixel, file size: 373 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Author: Nepomuk. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 444 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1044 × 1408 pixel, file size: 373 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Author: Nepomuk. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

In March 2002, the pylons emerged from the ground. The speed of construction then rapidly increased. Every three days, each pylon increased in height by 4 m (13 ft). This performance was mainly due to sliding shuttering. Thanks to a system of shoe anchorages and fixed rails in the heart of the pylons, a new layer of concrete could be poured every 20 minutes.

Rolling out of the deck

The bridge deck was constructed on land at the ends of the viaduct and rolled lengthwise from one pylon to the next, with eight temporary towers providing additional support. The movement was accomplished by a computer-controlled system of pairs of wedges under the deck; the upper and lower wedges of each pair pointing in opposite directions. These were hydraulically operated, and moved repeatedly in the following sequence:

1. The lower wedge slides under the upper wedge, raising it to the roadway above and then forcing the upper wedge still higher to lift the roadway.
2. Both wedges move forward together, advancing the roadway a short distance.
3. The lower wedge retracts from under the upper wedge, lowering the roadway and allowing the upper wedge to drop away from the roadway; the lower wedge then moves back all the way to its starting position. There is now a linear distance between the two wedges equal to the distance forward the roadway has just moved.
4. The upper wedge moves backward, placing it further back along the roadway, adjacent to the front tip of the lower wedge and ready to repeat the cycle and advance the roadway by another increment.

Erection of masts

The mast pieces were driven over the new deck, welded together and erected on top of the pylons. The stays connecting the masts and the deck were installed, and the temporary pylons were removed.

Impact and events

The Millau viaduct, and the town of Millau on the right

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 188 pixelsFull resolution (3000 × 704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 188 pixelsFull resolution (3000 × 704 pixel, file size: 1. ...

On the local economy

This section does not cite any references or sources. (July 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Thanks to the “viaduct effect”, the mayor of Millau approved more than 100 building permits in 18 months for the construction of three hotels plus other businesses and industries. Millau has seen an economic boom since the bridge opened. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Millau is a town and commune of southern France. ... In economics, the term boom and bust refers to the movement of an economy through economic cycles due to changes in aggregate demand. ...

The two industrial zones in La Cavalerie to the south, and Sévérac-le-Château to the north, have both expanded greatly, accommodating new enterprises both local and national.

Pedestrian sporting events

Unusually for a bridge closed to pedestrians, a run has already taken place in 2004 and another on 13 May 2007: is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

• December 2004 - 19,000 walkers and runners of the Three Bridge Walk had the privilege of crossing the bridge deck for the first time, but the walk was not authorised to go further than pylon P1; the bridge was still closed to traffic.
• 13 May 2007 - 10,496 runners took the departure of the race which from Place de Mandarous, in the centre of Millau, to the southern end of the viaduct. After starting on the northern side, they crossed the viaduct then retraced their steps. Total distance: 23.7 km (14.7 mi).

It appears that such events are unlikely to happen again.^{[citation needed]}

Famous visitors

During construction, various personalities flocked to the bridge.^[5] Amongst those:

• Jacques Chirac for the opening ceremony 14 December 2004;
• The Duke of Edinburgh (28 May 2004);
• José Bové (30 April 2004);
• Jean-Pierre Raffarin (7 April 2004);
• Gilles de Robien (24 January 2003 and 14 December 2004);
• Marc Blondel (9 December 2003);
• Sir Norman Foster (17 October 2003 and 14 December 2004);
• Dominique Bussereau (29 September 2003);
• Henri Salvador (in 2002);
• Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin (October 2002);
• Jean-Claude Gayssot (14 December 2001).
• Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, presenters of BBC's Top Gear;
• Andrew Spruce and George Brass, engineers;

“Chirac” redirects here. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... HRH The Duke of Edinburgh His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten), styled HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (born June 10, 1921), is the consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jean-Pierre Raffarin Jean-Pierre Raffarin   listen? (born August 3, 1948) is a French conservative politician. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gilles de Robien (April 10, 1941) is a notable French politician. ... is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Armadillo, Sir Norman Fosters Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank OM Kt (born June 1, 1935) is a British architect. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dominique Bussereau is currently the Minister of Agriculture in France. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Trancoso 22:20, 14 October 2006 (UTC)Henri Salvador (born July 18, 1917, Cayenne, French Guiana) is a French singer. ... Roselyne Bachelot Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, generally known as Roselyne Bachelot (born 24 December 1946 in Nevers) is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the west of France. ... Jean-Claude Gayssot (b. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster and writer who specialises in motoring. ... Richard Mark Hammond (born December 19, 1969 in Birmingham), nicknamed Hamster, is an English television and radio presenter best known for co-presenting the television programme Top Gear along with James May and Jeremy Clarkson from 2002 onwards, and co-hosting the live annual motoring show, MPH, in Earls Court... For the British body snatcher, James May, see London Burkers. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Top Gear may refer to: Top Gear (current format), a BBC television series about cars and motorsport in its new format (2002–present). ...

Miscellanea

• In 2004, a fire started on the slope of causse rouges because of a spark originating from a welder. Some trees were destroyed.
• The speed limit on the bridge was reduced from 130 km/h (81 mph) to 110 km/h (68 mph) because of traffic slowing down, due to tourists taking pictures of the bridge from the vehicles. Shortly after the bridge opened to traffic, passengers were stopping on the hard shoulder to admire the landscape and the bridge itself.
• A stamp was designed by Sarah Lazarevic to commemorate the opening of the crossing.
• The Chinese transport minister at the time visited the bridge on the first anniversary of its opening. The commission was impressed by the technical prowess of the bridge’s immense construction, but also by the legal and financial assembly of the viaduct. However, according to the minister, he did not envisage building a counterpart in People's Republic of China.
• The cabinet of the governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, who envisaged the construction of a bridge in San Francisco Bay, asked the council of the town hall of Millau about the popularity of the construction of the viaduct.
• This bridge was featured in a scene of Mr. Bean's Holiday.

A hard shoulder or simply shoulder is a reserved area alongside the verge of a road or motorway. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German IPA: ; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, Golden Globe-winning actor, businessman and politician currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... Mr. ...

Gallery

View of the Millau Viaduct, taken from the valley below.

Panoramic view of the Millau Viaduct, as seen from the south. The red temporary supports are still visible in this 29 June 2004 photograph. Download high resolution version (1600x422, 148 KB)Panoramic view of the Millau Viaduct, as of 29 June 2004 By User:Janekpfeifer File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Single segment of the construction on the small exhibition under viaduct Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x739, 195 KB) Summary en: France - Millau viaduct: single segment of construction pl: Francja - wiadukt Millau: pojedynczy segment konstrukcyjny Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Millau Viaduct ...

Large numbers of people stop to observe the viaduct from the viewing area on the northern side Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 727 KB) Summary Taken by Dave Sumpner Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

See also

• List of bridges by length
• Royal Gorge Bridge

Donghai Bridge, 2nd longest cross-sea bridge, bumped to second by the Hangzhou Bay Bridge (also in China) in May 2008. ... Royal Gorge in 1987 The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within a 360 acre (1. ...

References

This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (August 2007)

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Viaduc de Millau

• Viaduc de Millau
• The Millau viaduct project from the Greisch's office
• The Millau Bridge (a BBC overview of the Millau Viaduct)
• Project on Viaduc de Millau From Road Traffic Technology
• Eiffage group website
• Google Maps Satellite photo (under construction)
• Photographs of the Viaduct and the Millau Region
• Panoramic aerial view
• Collection of Viaduc de Millau/Millau Viaduct Photos
• Millau Viaduct in the Structurae database
• 3D Model for Millau viaduct overview in GE

Coordinates: 44°04′46.60″N, 03°01′20.39″E Structurae is an on-line database containing works of structural and civil engineering of all kinds such as Bridges, High-rise buildings, towers, dams, etc. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...