The Millua Viaduct In France
As of the 16th December 2004, the Millau Viaduct is officially opened.
Click here to read about it’s background, including who built it and who financed it.
Designed by the renowned British Architect Lord Norman Foster, the Millau Viaduct was described by Lord Foster as his "sculpture in the landscape."The whole thing looks impossibly delicate," Foster said in a telephone interview.
At a world-record-breaking 245 metres above ground the Viaduct is the highest bridge in the world. It’s taller than the Eiffel Tower, and longer than the Champs Elysees.
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Length: 2,460 metres Width: 4 lanes, each 3.5 metres wide (2 in each direction) Slope: About 3% (north to south) |
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Technical features: 3m- wide hard shoulders in each direction 18 cameras 6 pairs of emergency telephones every 500 metres |
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A few facts and figures: The pylons are 343 metres tall. The deck lies 270 metres above the Tarn river. The tallest pillar (concrete) holds the deck 245 metres above ground 85,000 cubic metres (or 205,000 tonnes) of concrete were used to make the pillars and abutments. The steel deck weighs 36,000 tonnes (or five Eiffel towers). |
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The toll bridge 6 kilometres north of the viaduct. 14 sheltered lanes (can be extended to 18). Full-lane toll bridge. |
The Millua Viaduct Further Information
Everything has been thought of and provided to ensure the comfort and safety of road-users when they cross the viaduct. The viaduct will therefore have:
- specially designed safety barriers that can withstand impact from heavy lorries.
- transparent windbreak screens 3 m. high to limit the effect of the wind on vehicles.
- emergency lanes 3 metres wide.
- emergency phones every 500 metres.
A surveillance and control centre will monitor the viaduct round-the-clock. It will be equipped with high-performance security equipment such as:
- Video surveillance linked to an automatic incident-detection system that will immediately inform the control centre if there is any anomaly in the traffic
- Automatic video recording
- A vehicle counting facility
- Weather stations
- Programmable message boards enabling information to be issued instantaneously.
The Millua Viaduct Charges & Tariffs
| Class | Vehicle | Summer | Winter |
| 1 | Car | €6.50 | €4.90 |
| 2 | Car + Trailer | €9.70 | €7.30 |
| 3 | Van | €17.90 | |
| 4 | Lorry | €24.30 | |
| 5 | Motorbike | €3.20 |
Summer rates apply from 1 July to 31 August.
Other rates apply from 1 September to 30 June
