THE
MILLAU VIADUCT: ON A HIGH
The Bridge Over The River Tarn
Bruno Gimmig, FRANCE
Work on the
Millau Viaduct started on 10 October 2001 and is on schedule for completion on 10 January
2005, 39 months down the road. It will have taken the French contractors just over three
years to meet the challenge to build the highest bridge in the world. A look at this
dramatic French project to link the North and South of Europe.
The little
town of Millau in the South of France is better known in France for its horrendous summer
traffic jams than for its Gallo-Roman pottery. Yet this traffic bottleneck on the A75
motorway, a NorthSouth link running parallel to France's backbone, the Rhone valley, is
set to go up in its countrymen's esteem. Since 17 December 2003, motorists have been able
to bypass Millau and cross the Tam Gorge over the highest motorway viaduct in the world.
The cable-stayed
bridge's tallest pillar stands at some 343 metres high, 19 metres above the Eiffel Tower
itself. This apparent piece of trivia is really worth mentioning since the two structures
do have several significant points in common. Like the Parisian monument, this work of
art's metal deck designed by English architect Lord Norman Foster was built by none other
than Eiffel Construction. Moreover, just like the tower, the Millau Viaduct holds such
fascination that some 400,000 sightseers have already flooded to see it.
The bridge is set
to become a fully-fledged tourist attraction, just like its elder. The figures alone are
eye-catching. Although the viaduct only touches the Tam valley at seven points, the entire
steel structure weighs no less than 36,000 tonnes. When complete, a total of 85,000 m3 of
concrete will have been used to build this 2,460-metre long bridge.
The viaduct may
be a work of art, but it is also a utility. It has been equipped with a whole host of
technological advances to make it as safe and pleasant as possible for the comfort of its
users and the area's residents. Safety barriers specially designed to resist truck
impacts, windbreaking screens and a video surveillance system coupled with an automatic
accident detector system will all keep viaduct traffic moving smoothly.
The Millau
Viaduct's sustainable development outlook guarantees it trouble-free operation for 120
years. Moreover, since this bridge spans one of the best-preserved natural sites in
France, particular attention has been paid to environmental protection. A stringent
Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) has been in place right from the outset. It identifies
the project's different pollution risks, lays down preventive arrangements, organises
checks and provides for measures to handle any pollution that may arise. A specially
dedicated environmental protection team has drawn up a rigorous plan to ensure that nature
is respected in all events. Water, air, noise ... everything is regularly checked on these
worksites employing over 500 people for 39 months. The Eiffage group has been awarded the
operation of the builtto-last viaduct under a 75-year concession agreement.
In addition to
being a technical feat, the Millau Viaduct will improve traffic on the North-South route.
It forms the last stretch of the A75 motorway, known as La Meridienne, completing the
route from Paris to Beziers via Clermont-Ferrand. The opening of this link for
free-flowing traffic should immediately clear congestion in the Rhone valley. Faster and
less expensive than the Rhone route, the chances are that hauliers and holidaymakers will
waste no time adopting the Millau Viaduct.
And the viaduct
is more than a time and money saver for its users. Inhabitants see it as a real plus that
will open up the region and bring in its share of new business. |
