One of the main wonders of the industrial world is the famous Millau Bridge, which holds several records. Thanks to this gigantic bridge, stretching over a huge river valley called Tar, uninterrupted and high-speed travel is ensured from the capital of France, Paris, to the small town of Beziers. Many tourists who come to see this highest bridge in the world often ask the question: “Why was it necessary to build such an expensive and technically complex bridge that leads from Paris to the very small city of Beziers?” The Millau Viaduct was built with the sole purpose of relieving congestion on the national highway, which constantly experienced huge traffic jams during the season, and tourists traveling around France, as well as truck drivers, were forced to stand in traffic jams for hours. It is worth noting that travel through the viaduct, which “floats above the clouds,” is paid, which does not in any way affect its popularity among vehicle drivers and guests of the country who come to see one of the most amazing wonders of the industrial world.
Bridge characteristics
The Millau Viaduct Bridge comprises an eight-span steel roadway supported by eight steel piers. The weight of the roadway is 36 thousand tons, width is 32 meters, length is 2.5 kilometers, depth under the bridge is 4.2 meters. The length of all six central spans is 342 meters, and the two outer ones are 204 meters long each. The road has a slight gradient of 3%, descending from the south side to the north, it is built with a curvature of 20 kilometers in order to give drivers a better view. Traffic flows in two lanes in all directions. The height of the columns ranges from 77 to 246 meters, the diameter of one of the longest columns is 24.5 meters at the base, and at the road surface - 11 meters. Each base consists of 16 sections, one section weighs 2.3 thousand tons. The sections were assembled on site from separate parts. Each individual section has a mass of 60 tons, is 17 meters long and 4 meters wide. Each support supports pylons that are 97 meters high. First, the columns were assembled along with temporary supports, then parts of the canvas were moved along the supports using jacks, which were controlled from satellites. The speed of movement of parts of the canvas was 600 millimeters in 4 minutes.
The legendary Millau Viaduct, which every self-respecting bridge builder knows about and which is considered an example of technological progress for all mankind, was designed by Michel Virlajo and the architect Norman Foster. The latter, by the way, was engaged in the reconstruction of the Berlin Reichstag. True, the British Queen did not make N. Foster a knight and baron for this. N. Foster's talent made the Millau Viaduct one of the modern wonders of the world.
In a well-coordinated tandem, the Eiffage group, N. Foster and M. Virlajo developed the Millau Bridge, which was inaugurated on December 14, 2004. Just two days after the event, the first cars drove along the final link of the A75 highway. It is interesting that the first stone for the construction of the viaduct was also laid on December 14, 2001, and the start of large-scale construction started on December 16, 2001. Apparently, the builders planned to coincide the opening date of the bridge with the start date of its construction.
Despite the fact that the best architects and engineers were involved in the project, building the highest road bridge in the world was extremely difficult. By and large, there are two more bridges on our planet that are located above Millau above the surface of the earth - the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado in the USA (321 meters above the ground) and the bridge connecting the two banks of the Siduhe River in China. True, in the first case we are talking about a bridge that can only be used by pedestrians, and in the second - about a viaduct, the supports of which are located on a plateau and their height is not comparable with the supports and pylons of Millau. It is for these reasons that the French bridge is considered the most complex in its design and the highest road bridge in the world.
How it's done
Some supports of the A75 terminal link are located at the bottom of the gorge that separates the “red plateau” and the Lazarka plateau. To make the bridge completely safe, French engineers had to separately develop each support: almost all of them are of different diameters and clearly designed for a specific load. The width of the largest bridge support reaches almost 25 meters at its base. True, in the place where the support connects to the road surface, its diameter noticeably narrows.
The workers and architects who developed the project had to face a whole host of difficulties during construction work. Firstly, it was necessary to strengthen the places in the gorge where the supports were located, and secondly, it was necessary to spend quite a lot of time transporting individual parts of the canvas, its supports and pylons. Just imagine that the main support of the bridge consists of 16 sections, the weight of each of them is 2.3 thousand tons. Looking ahead a little, I would like to note that this is one of the records that belongs to the Millau Bridge.
Naturally, there are no vehicles in the world that could deliver such massive parts of supports. For this reason, the architects decided to deliver parts of the supports piece by piece (if that's the way to put it, of course). Each piece weighed about 60 tons. It is quite difficult to even imagine how much time it took the builders just to deliver 7 supports to the bridge construction site, and this does not even take into account the fact that each support has a pylon just over 87 meters high, to which 11 pairs of high-strength cables are attached.
However, delivering construction materials to the site is not the only difficulty the engineers faced. The fact is that the Tar River valley has always been distinguished by a harsh climate: warmth, quickly giving way to piercing cold, sharp gusts of wind, steep cliffs - only a small part of what the viaduct builders had to overcome. There is official evidence that the development of the project and numerous studies lasted just over 10 (!) years. Work on the construction of the Millau Bridge was completed in such difficult conditions, one might say, in record time - it took builders and other services only 4 years to bring the plans of the project authors to life.
The road surface of the Millau Bridge, like its project itself, is innovative: in order to avoid deformation of expensive metal surfaces, which will be quite difficult to repair in the future, scientists had to invent an ultra-modern asphalt concrete formula. The metal sheets are quite strong, but their weight relative to the entire gigantic structure can be called insignificant (“only” 36 thousand tons). The coating had to protect the canvas from deformation (be “soft”) and at the same time meet all the requirements of European standards (resist deformation, be used for a long time without repair and prevent so-called “shifts”). Even with the use of the most cutting-edge technologies, it is impossible to solve this problem in a short time. The composition of the roadway was developed for almost three years. By the way, the asphalt concrete of the Millau Bridge is recognized as unique of its kind.
The Millau Bridge - harsh criticism
Despite the lengthy development of the plan, well-calibrated solutions and big names of architects, the construction of the viaduct initially aroused sharp criticism. By and large, in France any construction is subject to sharp criticism, just remember the Sacré-Coeur Basilica and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Opponents of the construction of the viaduct said that the bridge would be unreliable due to shifts at the bottom of the gorge, that it would never pay off, that the use of such technologies on the A75 highway was unjustified, that the bypass route would reduce the flow of tourists to the city of Millau. This is only a small part of the arguments that ardent opponents of the construction of a new viaduct addressed to the government. They were listened to and every objection was given an authoritative explanation. However, the opponents, which included some influential associations, did not calm down and continued their protests almost the entire time the bridge was being built.
How much did it cost
The construction of the most famous French viaduct, according to the most conservative estimates, took at least 400 million euros. Naturally, this money had to be returned, so travel on the viaduct was made to be paid: the point where you can pay for “a journey through the miracle of modern industry” is located near the small village of Saint-Germain. More than 20 million euros were spent on its construction alone. At the toll station there is a huge covered canopy, the construction of which took 53 giant beams. During the season, when the flow of cars on the viaduct increases sharply, additional lanes are used, of which there are 16 at the “passport”. At this point there is also an electronic system that allows you to track the number of cars on the bridge and their tonnage. By the way, the Eiffage concession will last only 78 years, which is exactly how long the state has allocated to the group to recoup its expenses.
Most likely, the company will not even be able to recover all the funds spent on construction. However, such unfavorable financial forecasts are viewed with a grain of irony within the group. Firstly, Eiffage is far from poor, and, secondly, the Millau Bridge served as further proof of the genius of its specialists. By the way, talk that the companies that built the bridge will lose money is nothing more than fiction. Yes, the bridge was not built at the expense of the state, but after 78 years, if the bridge does not bring profit to the group, France will be obliged to pay the losses. But if Eiffage manages to earn 375 million euros on the Millau Viaduct earlier than in 78 years, the bridge will become the property of the country free of charge. The concession period is, as already mentioned, 78 years, until 2045, but the group of companies gave a guarantee for the bridge for 120 years.
Driving along the four-lane highway of the Millau Viaduct does not cost exorbitant sums, as one might think. Driving a passenger car along the viaduct, the height of the main support of which is higher than the Eiffel Tower itself (!) and only slightly lower than the Empire State Building, will cost only 6 euros (in season - 7.7 euros). But for two-axle trucks the fare will be 21.3 euros, for three-axle trucks - almost 29 euros. Even motorcyclists and people traveling on the viaduct on scooters have to pay: the cost of traveling along the Millau Bridge will cost them 3 euros and 90 eurocents, respectively.
(from open sources)
Address: France, near the town of Millau
Start of construction: year 2001
Completion of construction: 2004
Architect: Norman Foster and Michelle Virlajo
Bridge height: 343 m.
Bridge length: 2,460 m.
Bridge width: 32 m.
Coordinates: 44°5′18.64″N,3°1′26.04″E
Short description
One of the main wonders of the industrial world of France is the world-famous Millau Bridge, which holds several records.
Thanks to this gigantic bridge, stretching over a huge river valley called Tar, uninterrupted and high-speed travel is ensured from the capital of France, Paris, to the small town of Beziers. Many tourists who come to see this highest bridge in the world often ask the question: “Why was it necessary to build such an expensive and technically complex bridge that leads from Paris to the very small city of Beziers?”
The thing is that it is in Beziers that a huge number of educational institutions, elite private schools and a retraining center for highly qualified specialists are located.
A huge number of Parisians, as well as residents from other large cities in France, who are attracted by the elitism of education in Beziers, come to study at these schools and colleges. In addition, the town of Beziers is located just 12 kilometers from the picturesque coast of the warm Mediterranean Sea, which, of course, in turn, also attracts tens of thousands of tourists from all over the globe every year.
The Millau Bridge, which can rightfully be considered the pinnacle of the mastery of engineers and architects, is popular among travelers as one of the most interesting attractions in France. Firstly, it offers a magnificent view of the Tar River valley, and secondly, it is one of the favorite objects for modern photographers. Photos of the Millau Bridge, which is almost two and a half kilometers long and 32 meters wide, made by the best and most authoritative photographers, adorn numerous office buildings and hotels not only in France, but throughout the Old World.
The bridge is a particularly fantastic sight when clouds gather underneath it: at this moment it seems as if the viaduct is hanging in the air and does not have a single support under it. The height of the bridge above the ground at its highest point is just over 270 meters.
The Millau Viaduct was built with the sole purpose of relieving congestion on the national route number 9, which constantly experienced huge traffic jams during the season, and tourists traveling around France, as well as truck drivers, were forced to stand in traffic jams for hours.
Millau Bridge - history of construction
The legendary Millau Viaduct, which every self-respecting bridge builder knows about and which is considered an example of technological progress for all mankind, was designed by Michel Virlajo and the brilliant architect Norman Foster. For those who are not familiar with the works of Norman Foster, it should be clarified that this talented English engineer, promoted to knights and barons by the Queen of Great Britain, not only recreated, but also introduced a number of new unique solutions to the Berlin Reichstag. It was thanks to his painstaking work and precisely calibrated calculations that the main symbol of the country was literally revived from the ashes in Germany. Naturally, Norman Foster's talent made the Millau Viaduct one of the modern wonders of the world.
In addition to the British architect, a group called Eiffage, which includes the famous Eiffel workshop, which designed and built one of the main attractions of Paris, was involved in the work on the creation of the highest transport route in the world. By and large, the talent of Eiffel and the employees from his bureau created not only the “calling card” of Paris, but of the whole of France. In a well-coordinated tandem, the Eiffage group, Norman Foster and Michel Virlajo developed the Millau Bridge, which was inaugurated on December 14, 2004.
Already 2 days after the festive event, the first cars drove along the final link of the A75 highway. An interesting fact is that the first stone in the construction of the viaduct was laid on December 14, 2001, and the start of large-scale construction started on December 16, 2001. Apparently, the builders planned to coincide the opening date of the bridge with the start date of its construction.
Despite a group of the best architects and engineers, building the highest road bridge in the world was extremely difficult. By and large, there are two more bridges on our planet that are located above Millau above the surface of the earth: the Royal Gorge Bridge in the USA in the state of Colorado (321 meters above the ground) and the Chinese bridge connecting the two banks of the Siduhe River. True, in the first case we are talking about a bridge that can only be crossed by pedestrians, and in the second, about a viaduct, the supports of which are located on a plateau and their height cannot be compared with the supports and pylons of Millau. It is for these reasons that the French Millau Bridge is considered the most complex in its design and the highest road bridge in the world.
Some supports of the A75 terminal link are located at the bottom of the gorge that separates the “red plateau” and the Lazarka plateau. To make the bridge completely safe, French engineers had to separately develop each support: almost all of them are of different diameters and clearly designed for a specific load. The width of the largest bridge support reaches almost 25 meters at its base. True, in the place where the support connects to the road surface, its diameter noticeably narrows.
The workers and architects who developed the project had to face a whole host of difficulties during construction work. Firstly, it was necessary to strengthen the places in the gorge where the supports were located, and secondly, it was necessary to spend quite a lot of time transporting individual parts of the canvas, its supports and pylons. Just imagine that the main support of the bridge consists of 16 sections, the weight of each of them is 2,300 (!) tons. Looking ahead a little, I would like to note that this is one of the records that belongs to the Millau Bridge.
Naturally, there are no vehicles in the world that could deliver such massive parts of the Millau Bridge supports. For this reason, the architects decided to deliver parts of the supports in parts (if one can put it that way, of course). Each piece weighed about 60 tons. It is quite difficult to even imagine how much time it took the builders just to deliver 7 (!) supports to the bridge construction site, and this does not even take into account the fact that each support has a pylon just over 87 meters high, to which 11 pairs of high-strength cables are attached.
However, delivering construction materials to the site is not the only difficulty faced by engineers. The thing is that the Tar River valley has always been distinguished by a harsh climate: warmth, quickly giving way to piercing cold, sharp gusts of wind, steep cliffs - only a small part of what the builders of the majestic French viaduct had to overcome. There is official evidence that the development of the project and numerous studies lasted just over 10 (!) years. Work on the construction of the Millau Bridge was completed in such difficult conditions, one might even say, in record time: it took builders and other services 4 years to bring to life the plans of Norman Foster, Michel Virlajo and architects from the Eiffage group.
The road surface of the Millau Bridge, like its project itself, is innovative: in order to avoid deformation of expensive metal surfaces, which will be quite difficult to repair in the future, scientists had to invent an ultra-modern asphalt concrete formula. The metal sheets are quite strong, but their weight, relative to the entire gigantic structure, can be called insignificant (“only” 36,000 tons). The coating had to protect the canvas from deformation (be “soft”) and at the same time meet all the requirements of European standards (resist deformation, be used for a long time without repair and prevent so-called “shifts”).
It is simply impossible for even the most cutting-edge technologies to solve this problem in a short time. During the construction of the bridge, the composition of the roadway was developed for almost three years. By the way, the asphalt concrete of the Millau Bridge is recognized as unique of its kind.
The Millau Bridge - harsh criticism
Despite the lengthy development of the plan, well-calibrated solutions and big names of architects, the construction of the viaduct initially aroused sharp criticism. By and large, in France any construction is subject to sharp criticism, just remember the Sacré-Coeur Basilica and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Opponents of the construction of the viaduct said that the bridge would be unreliable due to shifts at the bottom of the gorge; will never pay off; the use of such technologies on the A75 highway is unjustified; the bypass route will reduce the flow of tourists to the city of Millau. This is only a small part of the slogans that ardent opponents of the construction of a new viaduct addressed to the government. They were listened to and every negative call to the public was answered with an authoritative explanation. To be fair, we note that the opponents, which included influential associations, did not calm down and continued their protests almost the entire time the bridge was being built.
The Millau Bridge is a revolutionary solution
The construction of the most famous French viaduct, according to the most conservative estimates, took at least 400 million euros. Naturally, this money had to be returned, so travel on the viaduct was made to be paid: the point where you can pay for “a journey through the miracle of modern industry” is located near the small village of Saint-Germain.
More than 20 million euros were spent on its construction alone. At the toll station there is a huge covered canopy, the construction of which took 53 giant beams. During the “season”, when the flow of cars along the viaduct sharply increases, additional lanes are used, of which, by the way, there are 16 at the “passport”. At this point there is also an electronic system that allows you to track the number of cars on the bridge and their tonnage. By the way, the Eiffage concession will last only 78 years, which is exactly how long the state allocated to the group to cover its expenses.
Most likely, Eiffage will not even be able to recoup all the funds spent on construction. However, such unfavorable financial forecasts are viewed with a grain of irony within the group. Firstly, Eiffage is far from poor, and secondly, the Millau Bridge served as further proof of the genius of its specialists. By the way, talk that the companies that built the bridge will lose money is nothing more than fiction. Yes, the bridge was not built at the expense of the state, but after 78 years, if the bridge does not bring profit to the group, France will be obliged to pay the losses. But if “Eiffage manages to earn 375 million euros on the Millau Viaduct earlier than in 78 years, the bridge will become the property of the country free of charge. The concession period will last, as mentioned above, 78 years (until 2045), but the group of companies gave a guarantee for their majestic bridge for 120 years.
Driving along the four-lane highway of the Millau Viaduct does not cost exorbitant sums, as many might think. Driving a passenger car along the viaduct, the height of the main support of which is higher than the Eiffel Tower itself (!) and only slightly lower than the Empire State Building, will cost only 6 euros (in the “season” 7.70 euros). But for two-axle cargo vehicles, the fare will be 21.30 euros; for three-axles - almost 29 euros. Even motorcyclists and people traveling on the viaduct on scooters have to pay: the cost of traveling along the Millau Bridge will cost them 3 euros and 90 euro cents.
One of the most famous landmarks in southern France. Every year it is visited by about 500,000 tourists, who use the observation decks equipped near the bridge to explore. This is the calling card of the Aveyron department, despite the fact that the bridge was built quite recently - in 2001-2004. The length of the bridge is 2460 meters, the height at the highest point of the roadway is 270 meters to the water level in the Tarn River.
The Millau Viaduct (Viaduc de Millau) is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The entire bridge structure consists of thin trusses fastened to a steel platform, which allows for the most efficient distribution of loads. Thanks to this, the entire bridge has only seven supports on the ground, but this does not prevent it from successfully withstanding the winds in the valley, the speed of which can reach more than 200 km/h.
The authors of the project were the French engineer Michel Virlogeau, previously known for his participation in the design of the second longest (at the time of construction of the Millau Viaduct) cable-stayed bridge in the world - the Normandy Bridge, and the English architect Norman Foster.
MILLAU VIADUC (VIADUC de MILLAU) ON THE MAP
At the time of construction it was the highest transport bridge in the world. One of its supports is 341 meters high, which is slightly higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Currently Millau Viaduct in terms of the maximum height of the span above the lower part of the valley (river surface), it surpassed the bridge over the Siduhe River in Hubei Province in China, opened to traffic on November 15, 2009 (472 m). However, the height of the supports of its pylons installed within the valley remains the highest, since the supports of the “Chinese” bridge were not installed at the bottom of the gorge. So the design The Millau Viaduct (Viaduc de Millau) remains the tallest bridge structure in the world currently.
Near Millau Viaduct There are 7 viewpoints where locals and tourists come to admire the structure and the Tarn Valley in the vicinity of Millau. Many people bring their families, food, wine, and settle down on the site for several hours, relaxing in the fresh air. It must be said that this is a national trait of the French: the same picture can be observed in the Pyrenees, and in the Alps, as well as at other observation platforms from which wonderful views of the valley open.
There is a charge to travel across the Millau Viaduct. For a passenger car when entering the bridge you will have to pay 8.30 € (in July and August, when the heat peaks in the region, it is more expensive, almost 10.4 €), if the car has a trailer (caravan) the fee increases to 12.40 € (15.6 € in July and August). Traveling across the bridge on a motorcycle will cost about 5.1 euros (all data is for 2018). However, it is better for tourists to go around such bridges using an alternative free route. It will be cheaper, and you can admire the beauty instead of just a moment of contemplating the metal barriers of the toll road.
The history of the Millau Viaduct. Rationale and Objectives
The main purpose of the construction of the Millau Viaduct: become part of the A75 motorway and link the city of Clermont-Ferrand with the city of Béziers. Bringing this project to life required thirteen years of technical and financial research.
Research began in 1987, and the bridge was put into operation on December 16, 2004. Construction Millau Viaduct lasted three years, with a project cost of 320 million euros. The entire project was financed and built by the Eiffage group of companies under a 75-year concession.
The construction of the viaduct contributed to the development of commercial and industrial activity in the Aveyron department, and also had a beneficial effect on overcoming the “black spot” in the Millau region. Tourism around the Millau Viaduct received quite widespread development, and its construction attracted considerable interest from many politicians.
The Millau Viaduct itself (Viaduc de Millau) has become one of the most famous attractions of the Aveyron department.
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The history of the Millau Viaduct. Project problems
If the benefits of a highway crossing the Tarn River valley are undeniable and were obvious even at the stage of making the decision to build such a highway, some difficulties still arose during its construction. Most of the questions were raised by the need to cross the Tarn River valley. Here it was necessary to resolve the issues of overcoming the wind, which in the valley reaches speeds of more than 200 km/h, and also take into account the seismic and climatic features of the area.
Over the course of 3 years (1988-1991), four research companies carried out surveys, laboratory studies, and calculations, on the basis of which four options for a possible solution to the problem of overcoming the Tarn Valley were developed:
The option called "grand Est" involved passing the highway east of Millau and crossing the valley through two large bridges, 800-1000 meters long.
The second version of the “grand Ouest” provided for the passage of the highway through the Kerno Valley and was several tens of kilometers longer in length than the previous version.
The third option, “proche de la RN9,” provided for the passage of the highway in close proximity to the RN9 highway, which would have a positive impact on the development of the region and the city of Millau in particular. But the implementation of this option did not take place due to possible adverse consequences on the anthropogenic environment of the region;
The fourth “median” option involved laying a highway west of Millau, which received wide approval from the local population. However, some difficulties arose in the implementation of this project, which emerged after geological exploration of the area. After some time, however, experts confirmed that these difficulties can be overcome. As a result of this, by the Ministerial Decision on June 28, 1989, it was decided to build this particular version of the project.
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In this case, it was necessary to choose one of two options for its implementation:
The first option involved crossing the Tarn River valley by erecting a cable-stayed bridge about 2500 meters long at an altitude of 200 meters from the water level of the Tarn River;
The second option included a lower and shorter bridge across the river, but with the construction of a tunnel on the border of the Larzac plateau.
After extensive research and local consultation, the "low" option was abandoned, partly because the tunnels would have passed through groundwater and also because of the high cost of the project. The first option turned out to be cheaper, with better travel conditions and safety for users.
On October 29, 1991, an unequivocal decision was made to build a long cable-stayed bridge according to the first of two proposed options.
The history of the Millau Viaduct. Decision-making
The chosen route required construction viaduct 2500 m long. From 1991 to 1993, the Ouvrages d'art division of Setra, headed by Michel Virlogeux, carried out preliminary studies on the feasibility of this project. Considering technical, architectural and financial issues, the road authority engages a large number of architectural firms and architects to expand the search for possible solutions. In July 1993, 17 architectural firms and 38 independent architects provided their solutions for the project. With the assistance of an interdisciplinary committee, eight consultants were selected for the technical studies and seven architects for the architectural studies.
In February 1994, a group of experts chaired by Jean-François Coste, based on proposals from architects and consultants, identified a circle of five possible directions for the project.
On July 15, 1996, Bernard Pons, Minister of Public Works, approved the proposal of a jury consisting of elected officials, artists and experts and it was decided to build a cable-stayed bridge in the form in which it now appears Millau Viaduct .
The history of the Millau Viaduct. Construction financing
Construction of the Millau Viaduct (Viaduc de Millau) also caused financial difficulties. The state was not ready to invest two billion francs (320 million euros). Thus, it was decided to abandon the idea of a completely free highway and transfer the financing functions to a private contractor with the right to subsequently operate the bridge.
An international public tender was announced with time limits for applications until January 24, 2000. As a result, four consortia took part in the tender:
Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau (CEVM), led by Eiffage, acting on behalf of Eiffage Construction et Eiffel;
A group of companies led by the Spanish Dragados, with the participation of Skanska (Sweden) and Bec (France);
Group of companies Société du viaduc de Millau, with the participation of the French companies ASF, Egis, GTM, Bouygues Travaux Publics, SGE, CDC Projets, Tofinso and the Italian company Autostrade;
Group of companies Générale Routière with the participation of the French company Via GTI and the Spanish Cintra, Nesco, Acciona and Ferrovail Agroman.
As a result of the tender, the proposal of the Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau (CEVM) consortium was recognized as the best. The law of November 5, 2001 formalized the results of the public tender with the issuance of a concession to the developer for the use of the highway with the signing of a concession agreement between the state and the company Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau (CEVM).
The history of the Millau Viaduct. Concession terms
Duration of the concession granted to the Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau (CEVM) consortium for the operation Millau Viaduct ends on December 31, 2079. It should be noted that the term of the concession agreement (78 years) was exceptionally long compared to conventional highway concessions due to the need to balance the financial outcome of the operation. One of the reasons for this is also the fact that it was impossible to foresee all the risks associated with construction Millau Viaduct for such a long period of time that it could lead to negative results for the developer's profitability.
With regard to the risk of excessive profitability of the developer, the parties provided for early termination of the concession. Article 36 of the agreement provides that the State may require the termination of the concession without any compensation, subject to 24 months' notice, provided that the gross actual turnover, discounted at the end of 2000 at a rate of 8%, exceeds three hundred seventy-five million euros. This clause of the agreement can only be applied from January 1, 2045.
Despite the fact that the concession agreement is valid for 78 years, the developer had to develop and build Millau Viaduct for 120-year design operation. The design life of a bridge is the time during which the Millau Viaduct can be used for its intended purpose, with planned maintenance and repairs, but without the need for major repairs.
The history of the Millau Viaduct. Construction and design
It consists of an eight-span steel roadbed supported by seven steel columns. The roadway weighs 36,000 tons, is 2,460 meters long, 32 meters wide and 4.2 meters deep. Each of the six central spans is 342 meters long, the two outer ones are 204 meters long. The road has a slight gradient of 3%, descending from south to north, and a curvature of 20 kilometers in radius to give drivers a better view when entering the Millau viaduct.
To prevent deformation of the metal trusses - the basis of the road surface of the Millau Viaduct as a result of vehicle traffic, the Appia research group has developed a special composition of the asphalt concrete mixture using mineral resins. When laid, such a mixture easily adapts to the deformation of the base, does not crack, while having a sufficient level of wear resistance required for use on roads.
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Traffic is carried out in two lanes in each direction. The height of the columns varies from 77 to 244.96 meters, the diameter of the longest column is 24.5 meters at the base and 11 meters at the road surface.
Each support consists of 16 sections, each section weighs 2230 tons. The sections were assembled on site from parts weighing 60 tons, 4 meters wide and 17 meters long. Each of the pillars supports pylons 97 meters high.
Under construction Millau Viaduct First, the columns were assembled, along with temporary supports, then parts of the canvas were pulled out through the supports using satellite-controlled hydraulic jacks by 600 millimeters every 4 minutes.
The Council of the Midi-Pyrénées region has recognized the Millau Viaduct as one of the 18 great sites of the Midi-Pyrenees region for their cultural, technical and industrial heritage and tourism potential.
The Millau Viaduct in Southern France is the highest road 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.
Millo Bridge leading the list of the largest bridges in the world, it is part of the A75-A71 motorway from Paris to Montpellier. The construction cost was approximately?400 million. Construction of the bridge was completed on December 14, 2004. In 2006, the structure won the IABSE award for Most Outstanding Structure 
The construction of the bridge broke three world records at once:
1 - the tallest supports in the world: 244.96 meters and 221.05 meters in height, respectively 
2 - the tallest bridge tower in the world: the mast on the P2 pier reaches a maximum of 343 meters 
3 - the highest road bridge deck in the world, 270 m. Only the deck of the Royal Bridge in the Colorado Gorge, United States (a pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River, sometimes also used by motor vehicles) is higher - 321 meters and is considered the highest bridge in the world 
The eight-span Millau Viaduct is supported on seven concrete supports. The highway weighs 36,000 tons and is 2,460 m long. The bridge is made in the shape of a semicircle with a radius of 20 kilometers. Huge piers were built first, along with temporary temporary piers in between, to make construction easier. The construction of the bridge cost the state 400 million euros 
The highest bridge in the world It took 38 months to build (a little over 3 years). The roadway was pulled from both ends at once, connecting the sections one by one, using specialized equipment, using hydraulics, gradually moving the bridge sections closer to the bridge supports, connecting them with millimeter precision 
The cost of crossing the bridge is from 4 to 7 euros, depending on the time of year, the most expensive passage is in the summer. From 10 to 25 thousand cars pass through Millo every day. According to engineers, the minimum service life of the structure will be 120 years. Annual work is also carried out in the form of constant checks of cable fastenings, bolts, and the condition of painting so that the bridge is in proper condition. 
If you calculate how many cars will cross the bridge in 100 years, you get a figure of 800 million cars. The total toll on Millo will be more than 4 billion euros 
A total of four roads lead from Paris to the south of France: A7 through Lyon, A75 through Orleans and Clermont-Ferrand, A20 through Limoges and Toulouse, and A10 through Poitiers and Bordeaux along the Atlantic coast. The shortest route to the Mediterranean Sea is along the A75 - one of the highest motorways in Europe. For a long time, the main disadvantage of this road was considered to be the huge traffic jams in the Millau area, where the A75 crossed the Tarn River. Every year, during the summer holidays and holidays, traffic jams stretched for many kilometers, so over time, the construction of a viaduct over the Tarn Valley became a necessity. Research began in 1987, and he Millau viaduct opened only in 2004. This masterpiece of engineering broke several records and today is considered the tallest transport structure in the world. In my opinion, it is impossible to drive past without stopping in the parking lot to enjoy the views of the bridge and southern landscapes.
I have already driven along the Millau Viaduct three times and stopped next to it each time, so this story will contain photographs taken on three different days. There will be an opportunity to view the bridge in different lighting.
The city of Millau is located in the incredibly picturesque valley of the Tarn River and is surrounded by the mountains of the Massif Central.
Millau has a population of just over 20 thousand people.
To admire the viaduct, it is best to spend a little time and effort and climb to the observation deck hanging over the parking lot.
The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed bridge with a total length of two and a half kilometers, standing on seven supports, one of which exceeds the Eiffel Tower in height.
Unlike other, higher bridges (if you count the distance from the roadway to the bottom), the supports of the Millau Viaduct are installed at the very bottom of the gorge. That is why the bridge can be considered the highest in the world.
The implementation of the project was entrusted to the design company "Eifage", and the main architects were the famous Norman Foster and Michel Virlogeux, the author of the impressive Normandy Bridge at the mouth of the Seine.
The designers faced a number of difficulties: the enormous size and depth of the gorge, winds reaching 200 km/h, some seismic activity, as well as resistance from local residents and nature protection associations.
Preliminary studies have identified four possible routes for the motorway: "East" (involving the complex construction of two high bridges over the Tarn and Durby valleys), "West" (construction of four viaducts, which would have a huge impact on the environment), "close to RN9" ( technical difficulties, since it would pass through already built-up areas) and finally “Middle” - which received greater approval among local residents, but also associated with certain geological and technological difficulties.
Additional research has shown that the “Middle” project can be implemented. All that remained was to choose from two options: the “upper” option involved the construction of a 2.5 km long viaduct, and the “lower” option involved a descent into the valley, a bridge over the Tarn and an additional viaduct with a tunnel. The shorter, cheaper and safer "upper" option was eventually approved by the Ministry of Supply.
In 1996 (i.e., 9 years after the start of research), the final design of the viaduct (third from the top) that best fits into the landscape was selected from several options.
The bridge is supported by 7 pillars (or pylons). From each pylon, 11 pairs of cables with a tension of 900 to 1200 tons extend to the roadway.
The weight of the bridge's steel deck is 36 thousand tons, which is five times heavier than the world famous Eiffel Tower.
A special wind shield is installed on both sides of the roadway, protecting the viaduct and motorists from strong gusts of wind.
The condition of the bridge is monitored using a huge number of sensors measuring pressure, temperature, acceleration, tension, etc. Vibrations of the flooring are recorded with millimeter precision.
I believe that the Millau Viaduct is one of the most beautiful and elegant bridges in the world. Its strict lines and apparent simplicity of design not only do not spoil, but even decorate the landscape.
Many opponents of the construction argued that tolls on the bridge would discourage motorists and truck drivers, and the project would not be profitable. It turned out the other way around: the viaduct attracts not only cargo transportation companies (saving time and nerves for drivers), but also tourists who specially come to see the miracle of engineering.
Although cars no longer pass through the city center on their way to or from the south, hotels and restaurants in towns adjacent to the bridge are seeing an increase in foot traffic, dubbed the "viaduct effect."
The toll booth is located north of the viaduct. It can serve 16 lanes. The cost of crossing the bridge in 2013 during the summer season is 8.90 € for cars, 32.40 € for trucks.
Initially, the bridge had a standard speed limit of 130 km/h, but it was lowered to 90 km/h to reduce the risk of accidents - many drivers slowed down to enjoy the scenery.
The bridge's 20 km radius of curvature allows motorists to follow a more precise path and gives the viaduct the illusion of infinity.
Some say that nowadays no one thinks about the aesthetic component of large structures, as capitalism strives to reduce construction costs at the expense of appearance. The Millau Viaduct is direct evidence of the opposite.
How to get there: by car, 6 hours from Paris or a little over an hour from Montpellier.
Bridge fare: 8.90€ in summer, 7€ out of season
Friends, what bridges impressed you in your time?