May 29, 2009
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WORLDS TALLEST BRIDGE
Would you feel a little nervous about driving across this bridge?
There’s something just not right about driving above the clouds.
The Millau Viaduct was opened in December of 2004 and is part of the A75-A71 expressway connecting Paris and Barcelona and features the highest bridge piers ever constructed. The tallest pier is 240 meters (787 feet) high and the overall height is an impressive 336 meters (1102 feet), making this the highest vehicular bridge in the world.
It’s taller than the Eiffel Tower .. Interestingly, the Millau Viaduct is not straight. Why? It’s because a straight road could induce a floating sensation as you drive across it. So, a slight curve remedies that feeling. The curve is 20km in range. Moreover, the road has a light incline of 3% to improve the visibility and reassure the driver.
An amazing engineering feat!
Comments (4)
this is true photo or future photo ?…how amazing taller than Eiffel Tower !…acrophobia never drive on this bridge…and perhaps, me too…
I saw this bridge being built on Discovery Channel. It was designed by Norman Foster, one of our top British architects who also designed the “Gherkin”, one of London’s newest landmarks.
After the towers were built, the curved decking was literally shoved by jacks over them from each end using temporary intermediate towers, and finally the support cables were put in place. The mind boggles at the heavy-duty engineering ! The design is “cable stay” as opposed to suspension, similar to the Queen Elizabeth bridge on the M25 around London.
That thing is awesome. I’d love the drive it just to do it… and take photos. And yeah… might be a wee bit nervous up there… just a wee bit.
I got nauseous just LOOKING at the pictures! Probably would be hyper ventilating if I was on that thing!!!! ack!!!