The viaduct of Millau (Millau) in the South of France is the highest automobile bridge in the world, 343 meters high. The bridge is 37 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower and several meters lower than the Empire State Building.
Leading the list of the largest bridges in the world, the Millot Bridge is part of the A75-A71 from Paris to Montpellier. The cost of construction was approximately ?400 million. Construction of the bridge was completed on December 14, 2004. The structure won the IABSE award in 2006 for having the most outstanding structure
tallest bridge in the world
Three world records were broken when the bridge was built:
1 – The tallest piers in the world: 244.96 meters and 221.05 meters high, respectively
MILLO France
- The tallest tower in the world: The mast on the P2 pier reaches a maximum height of 343 meters.
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3 – The highest road decking of a road bridge in the world, 270 m. Only the planking of the King’s Bridge in the Colorado Gorge, United States (it is a pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River, sometimes also used by motor vehicles) is higher at 321 meters and is considered the highest bridge in the world.
The Millo Viaduct with eight spans is supported by seven concrete piers. The highway weighs 36,000 tons and is 2,460 meters long. The bridge is in the shape of a semi-circle with a radius of 20 kilometers. The huge supports were built first, with intermediate temporary supports, to simplify the construction of the deck. The construction of the bridge cost the state about 400 million euros.
The highest bridge in the world took 38 months (just over 3 years) to build. The roadway deck was stretched on both ends, joining the sections one by one, using specialized equipment and gradually moving the bridge sections closer to the piers of the bridge with the help of hydraulics and joining them with the accuracy of millimeters.
Traveling on the bridge costs from 4 to 7 euros depending on the season, the most expensive way is in summer. Every day on the Millo passes from 10 to 25 thousand cars. According to engineers, the minimum service life of the structure will be 120 years. There is also annual work in the form of constant inspections of cable ties, bolts, and the condition of the paint job to keep the bridge in proper condition.
If you calculate how many cars will drive over the bridge in 100 years, you get a figure of 800 million cars. The total toll on the Millo will be more than 4 billion euros.