So here goes,
The Millau Viaduct is part of the new E11 expressway connecting Paris and Barcelona and features the highest bridge piers ever constructed. The tallest is 240 meters (787 feet) high and the overall height is an impressive 336 meters (1102 feet), making this
the highest bridge in the world. It is taller than the Eiffel Tower .
Construction began in october 2001, and by november the following year, the highest pier had already reached 100m in height. launching the deck started in february 2003, and was completed by may 2004. Unusually, the deck is constructed from a new high-grade steel as opposed to concrete. this helped the deck to be pre-constructed in 2,000 pieces at eiffage's alsace factory and gps-aligned, 60cm at a time.
The millau viaduct is supported by multi-span cables placed in the middle. to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the concrete deck, there is 1m of empty space at its extremities and each column is split into two thinner, more flexible columns below the roadway, forming an a-frame above the deck level. Construction work used approx. 127,000m³ of concrete, 19,000t of steel-reinforced concrete and 5,000t of pre-constraint steel (cables and shrouds). the project needed 205,000t of concrete, of which 50,000m³ will be reinforced concrete. in total, the viaduct weighs 290,000t.
A 3m-wide emergency lane provides increased security. it will, in particular, prevent drivers from seeing the valley from the viaduct. As the bridge will be exposed to winds of up to 151km/hr, side screens are used to reduce the effects of the wind by 50%. the speed of the wind at the level of the road therefore reflects the speed of the wind found at ground level around larzac and sauveterre.
Toll station
An 18-lane toll station 6km north of the millau viaduct is housed under a structure made of a special concrete patented by the group eiffage. the toll plaza includes a cctv connection to the viaduct and the highway. it also accommodates technical and administrative services.
The Picts
