Millua Bridge

As of the 16th December 2004, the A75 autoroute Millau bridge crossing was opened and currently holds the title of 'World's tallest bridge'.

For a detailed look at how it's constructed, how it all works, how much it costs to cross and other statistics about the Millau Viaduct follow this link.

For the last three years, the A75 autoroute Millau bridge crossing has been one of the largest construction projects in Europe, if not, the world.

Unveiled by French President Monsieur Jacques Chirac, the A75 autoroute Millau bridge crossing has been built to "Unblock" the notorious Millau bottleneck saving an estimated 30 minutes under normal conditions and up to four hours on a busy summer weekend on a journey across the Gorges of the Tarn river.

Designed by the renowned British Architect Lord Norman Foster, the A75 autoroute Millau bridge crossing was described by Lord Foster as his "sculpture in the landscape."The whole thing looks impossibly delicate," Foster said in a telephone interview.

Monsieur Chirac told a reception, "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."

Before the bridge, the journey by road from the North of France down to the south was always plagued by a notorious bottleneck in the town of Millau. There was no way round it, so you just had to take your chances and hope for the best. It was a kind of French Lottery where if you won, it didn't seem as though you won anything, but if you lost, you sure did know about it. I've been caught in traffic going through Millau a few times and I can tell you that the new Millau Viaduct crossing is a welcome addition to any holidaymaker driving down south.

This 400 million euro project was financed and designed by construction firm Eiffage. The same company who built the Eiffel Tower.

France's third-largest heavy-construction company and currently the sixth largest in Europe, Eiffage employs 48,000 people in France and around the world (over 90% of whom are also shareholders).

It generated nearly €7 billion last fiscal year, 80% of which came from operations in France.

Eiffage will run the viaduct for 75 years, at the end of which it will hand the viaduct over to the State.

The Millau bridge is located just north of the Herault departement of the Languedoc. This southern region of France is a popular holiday destination for the French as well as other nationalities. With the extension of the A75 motorway, the Herault is now very easily reached by car from other parts of France. This has increased the popularity of areas such as Cap D'Agde, Pezenas and Beziers which are now some of the most popular in southern France. So much so that an increasing number of Europeans are buying property in the Herault to use as holiday homes.

Read on for the bridge's vital statistics as well as a guide to crossing the Millau Viaduct.Or you may want to find out about other aspects of driving in France such as Languedoc car hire, French speed limits or what a telepeage badge is.