maren Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 Can't find the entire text that was in yesterday's New York Times, only this much: When the two ends of the vertiginous Millau Viaduct in southern France were joined last month, it became the world's tallest bridge. Designed by Norman Foster of Foster & Partners, it connects the road from Paris to Barcelona over the Tarn River northwest of Montpellier. The deck - the part devoted to driving - will be 900 feet above the river when the project is completed next January (at the cost of $365 million). Foster & Partners sought minimum impact on the landscape. So screens designed to protect vehicles from strong gusts will be transparent. The original short article went on to say that there were no provisions to help drivers who freaked out in the middle of the bridge -- and that the same designer was responsible for London's Millennium Bridge which [according to CNN on 2/24/2002J "has re-opened to the public after a £5 million ($7 million) repair programme to correct a wobble which forced its closure after just three days." I'm not afraid to fly in an airplane, and the bridge looks breathtaking, but if I'm driving from Barcelona into France, I'm taking the low road!!! Quote
Jazzmoose Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I'd rather be dipped in dog shit, to be honest... Quote
RainyDay Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 (edited) I can barely drive across the Golden Gate because, unlike the Bay Bridge, you can look straight down over the side and see the ocean. I would be terrified to cross this thing. I'm going to pass this pic around the office. Edited June 25, 2004 by RainyDay Quote
wesbed Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I'd rather be dipped in dog shit, to be honest. Yeah. Dogshit is probably sterile and not harmful. I mean, if it didn't hurt the dog... Quote
RainyDay Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 One co-worker wanted to know why it had to be so high. There's a teeny tiny bridge below it that gives some context for how out of scale this thing is. I guess they don't have CEQA in France (no, duh). I can't imagine something like this being constructed anywhere in the US except maybe in Nevada and then it would be a theme park. Quote
maren Posted June 25, 2004 Author Report Posted June 25, 2004 One co-worker wanted to know why it had to be so high. There's a teeny tiny bridge below it that gives some context for how out of scale this thing is. I guess they don't have CEQA in France (no, duh). I can't imagine something like this being constructed anywhere in the US except maybe in Nevada and then it would be a theme park. I know -- it seems psychotic to me! I saw this in the paper right before I fell asleep last night, and I woke up wondering if I had only dreamed this story. 900 feet above the river! Eiffel Tower (sans TV antenna) = 986 feet! Observatory deck of Empire State Building = 1050 feet! Quote
RainyDay Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 Well, I found this that explains, sort of, why it has such height. See the site for construction pix. If you Google, you can find other pix. I guess the challenge was to link two plateaus in a mountainous area. http://www.a75.com/viaducengl.html http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/proj...millau_viaduct/ MILLAU VIADUCT, FRANCE Spanning a 2km valley in the massif central mountain range, the Millau Viaduct multi-span cabled-stayed bridge, will form the final link in the A75 highway being built from Paris to Barcelona. The bridge will cross the valley of the Tarn in southern France, connecting Clermont-Ferrand with Béziers and Montpelier. At present, the highway is interrupted around Millau in Aveyron, by the river Tarn, which runs through a wide gorge between two plateaux. Topographical studies highlighted two major aspects to the project: Crossing the river The challenge of spanning a 2.5km bridge from one plateau to the other in the most economical manner With a total height of 343m, taller than the Eiffel tower, the structure is expected to be the highest viaduct in the world and will be the first cable-stayed bridge to be built with seven pylons instead of the usual two or three. 2,460m in length, the crossing is expected to last, by car, around one minute. The project started mid-2002 and the bridge is expected to be open to traffic on 10 January 2005. The works will cost €310,000,000. DESIGN Lord Norman Robert Foster is the architect of the Millau Viaduct. The bridge has been designed to look as delicate and transparent as possible. Each of its sections will span 342m and its columns range in height will be of 75m to 235m over the river Tarn. It will use the minimum amount of material, making it less costly to construct: the deck, the masts rising above the road deck and the multi-span cables will all be in steel. This structure will create a dramatic silhouette and, crucially, it will hopefully make the minimum intervention in the landscape. PIERS AND DECK The seven piers of the Millau Viaduct will be sunk in shafts of reinforced concrete in a pyramidal shape, being divided in an overturned V, and the shrouds will be anchored and distributed in semi harps. The program will utilise hundreds of high pressure hydraulic cylinders and pumps to push the deck spans in place and a PC-synchronized lifting system to lift the auxiliary piers. Hydraulic tools and components manufacturer Enerpac has been awarded the major contract to supply the hydraulic system for lifting and pushing the bridge spans and piers for the Millau Viaduct. The deck will be in metal, chosen because it is lighter than concrete and because it is easier to put in place. It will be supported by the multi-span cables placed in the middle. To accommodate the expansion and contraction of the concrete deck, there will be 1m of empty space at its extremities and each column will split into two thinner, more flexible columns below the roadway, forming an A-frame above the deck level. Including the 90m steel masts rising above the road deck, the total structure will culminate at 340m. MATERIAL: CONCRETE AND STEEL The "Compagnie du viaduct de Millau" entrusted the French company Eiffage for the works. Eiffage provides the concrete. The steel construction company Eiffel, part of the French group Eiffage, is responsible for the steel component of the viaduct. Material will be prepared in Eiffel's industrial plants in Lauterbourg, Alsace, and Fos-sur-mer. 96% of the work for the deck will be done in the industrial plants which is better for the security of the workers. Cases, 17m long and 4.20m high, arrive on trucks from Fos-sur-mer and are assembled on the bridge itself with steel panels prepared at the plant in Lauterbourg. In total, the construction of the work will require approximately 127,000m³ of concrete, 19,000t of steel-reinforced concrete, 5,000t of pre-constraint steel (cables and shrouds). The whole work will need 205,000t of concrete of which 50,000m³ will be reinforced concrete. In total, the viaduct will weight 290,000t. SAFETY ON THE ROAD The road will have two lanes (3.50m each) on each side and will run at about 270m above the river Tarn. The Millau Viaduct will not be straight. A straight road could induce a sensation of floating for drivers. A slight curve will remedy that. The curve will be of 20km in range. Moreover, the road will have a light hill of 3% to improve the visibility and reassure the driver. A 3m wide emergency lane will bring 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/h, side screens will reduce the effects of the wind by 50%. The speed of the wind at the level of the road will therefore reflect to speed of the wind found at ground level around Larzac and Sauveterre. TOLL STATION A toll station will be built at 6km north of the Millau Viaduct. It will allow 18 lanes under a structure in a special concrete patented by the group Eiffage. The toll will include a CCTV connection to the viaduct and the highway. It will also accommodate technical and administrative services. A pavilion will welcome visitors close by with information about the building of the viaduct and tourist activities in the region. Quote
chris olivarez Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 Yeah I'd cross it. I'd be afraid but I would cross it. During high school sports season I frequently have to cross Wolf Creek Pass. It has some very long drops and if you go over them and are unable to exit your car it's certain death. Wolf Creek during the winter can have some very unpleasant weather and it doesn't make motoring fun. I'm afraid of heights but I somehow manage to put it aside and live and work in Colorado. Quote
JSngry Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I've crossed the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia numerous occasions. 876 high, 3030 ft long, the longest, single-span steel arch bridge in the western hemisphere. No big deal, because it's straight. The bridges that freak me out are the ones that climb vertically in an arch. A little bit of that is ok, but I've been on ones that go up at, like, 45-50 degree angles (or more, it seems), and the higher you climb, the freakier that gets. Then again, this new one is about 2.5 times longer the the one in WV, so it might get to me after a while. But as long as it's staight, I think I'd be cool. Quote
brownie Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I've been waiting for the completion of that Millau bridge for years. Driving through the small city of Millau can be nightmarish. A real bottleneck which can be passed in a few minutes when there is not tto much traffic which is pretty seldom. Usually the queue of cars extend for several miles. I'll drive over the bridge as soon as it's allowed! Quote
maren Posted June 25, 2004 Author Report Posted June 25, 2004 I've been waiting for the completion of that Millau bridge for years. Driving through the small city of Millau can be nightmarish. A real bottleneck which can be passed in a few minutes when there is not tto much traffic which is pretty seldom. Usually the queue of cars extend for several miles. I'll drive over the bridge as soon as it's allowed! Well, I guess I'd have to be in the back seat cowering under a blanket!!! Quote
sheldonm Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 (edited) Actually there is a bridge in the US that is taller, the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado is 1053 feet tall. The New River Gorge bridge is 876 feet tall, so it's a little shorter. I once hung off part of the NRG bridge to photograph base jumpers, what a gas! Although I'm not afraid of heights, I am afraid of falling . I use to do a lot of aerial photography from helicopters without doors, what a view! Mark Edited June 25, 2004 by sheldonm Quote
brownie Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I've been waiting for the completion of that Millau bridge for years. Driving through the small city of Millau can be nightmarish. A real bottleneck which can be passed in a few minutes when there is not tto much traffic which is pretty seldom. Usually the queue of cars extend for several miles. I'll drive over the bridge as soon as it's allowed! Well, I guess I'd have to be in the back seat cowering under a blanket!!! You'd be real wrong. The view from up there is bound to be spectacular! The area is just beautiful. I can't wait... Quote
Big Al Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 (edited) Reminds me of the Royal Gorge in Colorado. (D’oh! Left the page open too long before posting, so that’s why this line is still here) I'd be there in a heartbeat! Edited June 25, 2004 by Big Al Quote
catesta Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 Well, I guess I'd have to be in the back seat cowering under a blanket!!! I'd join you. Quote
maren Posted June 25, 2004 Author Report Posted June 25, 2004 (edited) See, the New River Gorge bridge doesn't look scary to me -- guess it's the arch below, and the fact that you're only at maximum height above the river for, like, a quarter of the length at most. Because the gorge is a gorge! A quick deep slash. The Royal Gorge looks a little scarier, but still, looks like you get from rocky top to rocky top pretty quickly. But those two white pillars, supposedly taller than the Eiffel Tower -- and no return to level ground in sight in that panoramic picture from Millau -- well -- have fun, Brownie! Edited June 25, 2004 by maren Quote
sheldonm Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 (edited) See, the New River Gorge bridge doesn't look scary to me -- guess it's the arch below, and the fact that you're only at maximum height above the river for, like, a quarter of the length at most. Because the gorge is a gorge! A quick deep slash. The Royal Gorge looks a little scarier, but still, looks like you get from rocky top to rocky top pretty quickly. But those two white pillars, supposedly taller than the Eiffel Tower -- and no return to level ground in sight in that panoramic picture from Millau -- well -- have fun, Brownie! Maren, Actually, it's not so much of a deep splash (more a "thump") under the New River Gorge bridge; mostly shallow water and lots of rocks. This is actaully one of the "take out" points when you raft on the New River. Water level is really pretty low. Edited June 25, 2004 by sheldonm Quote
maren Posted June 25, 2004 Author Report Posted June 25, 2004 I DID like driving on the Afsluitdijk... Quote
couw Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I DID like driving on the Afsluitdijk... BORING! Quote
RainyDay Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 The difference with the Millau bridge is that the supports are as tall as skyscrapers and the thing is looooong. It would be like driving through space in a car. Being surrounded by all that nothingness would be freaky. I can see how that might be appealing for many folks. It would be spooky for me. Brownie: If we are all still hanging out here when it opens, I would love a full report when you make the trip across. Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 I love crossing bridges! That one looks stunning! My recent favourite comes on the crossing from Denmark to Sweden. You have to cross two bridges to connect to the main islands ofshore of the Danish Jutland peninsular and then you get this beauty, the Oresund, crossing The Sound, the historic entry point to the Baltic and dividing point between Sweden and Denmark since 1658. A wonderful experience. This is taken from Malmo on the Swedish side: Quote
RainyDay Posted June 25, 2004 Report Posted June 25, 2004 Bev: This bridge doesn't give me the creeps. Something about being suspended up in the sky and long as Interstate 5 that gives me the willies. Quote
brownie Posted June 26, 2004 Report Posted June 26, 2004 The difference with the Millau bridge is that the supports are as tall as skyscrapers and the thing is looooong. It would be like driving through space in a car. Being surrounded by all that nothingness would be freaky. I can see how that might be appealing for many folks. It would be spooky for me. Brownie: If we are all still hanging out here when it opens, I would love a full report when you make the trip across. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic in December. I'll be hitting the road to southern France in September and drive thru Millau and its traffics jams once more. Not sure yet when I'll be going that way next year but I am looking forward to the drive over the bridge. Not sure my wife feels the same way! Quote
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