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Visiting the tallest bridge in the world (photos)

Road Trip 2011: Built to take the A75, a major French highway, across the Tarn River, the Millau Viaduct is the world's tallest bridge. Its seven towers dominate the area around it, and it has brought serious tourism to an otherwise sleepy town.

Daniel Terdiman
Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer at CNET News covering Twitter, Net culture, and everything in between.
Daniel Terdiman
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1 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

The Millau Viaduct

MILLAU, France--When faced with a problem--a significant missing link on one of the major north-south highways out of Paris--the French came up with the perfect solution: build the tallest bridge in the world. Called the Millau Viaduct, because it spans the Tarn River just outside this small French town not too far from Clermont-Ferrand, this massive bridge towers 1,125 feet above the Tarn Valley--and by the way, cuts 37.3 miles off the drive from Paris to Perpignan in the south.

But little things like less driving and less cost--since taking the A75 (the autoroute that includes the Millau Viaduct) saves drivers about $21 in tolls versus what was required to go from Paris to Perpignan prior to the bridge's opening in 2004--are just details when you look at this bridge from just about any of the many different viewing spots. It's gigantic, beautiful, graceful, and, yes, it is the tallest bridge in the world.

CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman visited the Millau Viaduct as part of Road Trip 2011.

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2 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Tall towers

For years before the Millau Viaduct opened for traffic in late 2004, teams were working on the idea of completing the missing link on the A75 autoroute that connects Paris in the north to Perpignan in the south. The first sketches were made in 1987, with each proposing a bridge that spanned the Tarn Valley, though some had the crossing east of Millau, while others had it to the west.

In 1994, the decision was made to locate the bridge just a few kilometers west of Millau. And in 1996, the bridge design by Michel Virlogeux of Ponts et Chaussees and architecture by Norman Foster was selected. According to the official Millau Viaduct Web site, "A multi-stay cabled construction will be seen on the Aveyron skyline. Its aesthetic aspect and integration into the countryside attracted the government departments. It took preference over four other potential projects: a bridge of constant thickness, a variable thickness bridge, a viaduct with stays stretched under the deck, and a construction with one single arch."

In December 2001, the first stone for the Millau Viaduct was laid.

In this photograph, the bridge is seen from just in front and to the east.

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3 of 21 Eiffage

Under construction

In this archival photograph, the Millau Viaduct is seen under construction. It opened to traffic in late 2004.

According to the bridge's official Web site, it is 8,071 feet long, 105 feet wide, 1,125 feet tall (which makes it 62 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower), and cost about $562 million to build. It has seven towers, and 154 stays--11 pairs per tower pylon.

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4 of 21 Eiffage

Fireworks

Fireworks explode over the Millau Viaduct to celebrate its opening in 2004.

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5 of 21 Kathleen Craig

Straight up at the tower

This is a look straight up at one of the towers of the Millau Viaduct from the deck of the bridge itself.

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6 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Two towers

From a hill far from the bridge, two towers of the Millau Viaduct dominate the Tarn Valley.

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7 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Three towers from information center

Just underneath the bridge on the south side, there is an official information center. This photograph shows the view of three of the towers to the north of the center.

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8 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Viewing platform

There are seven official Millau Viaduct viewing areas, including this one on a hill high above and several kilometers away. It is a popular place to visit to check out the world's tallest bridge.

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9 of 21 Eiffage

Viaduct with clouds

In this photograph, the Millau Viaduct is seen with a cloud bank underneath it.

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10 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Six towers and RS5

Six towers of the Millau Viadcut--the world's tallest bridge--are seen here in the background with the Audi RS5 that CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman is driving on Road Trip 2011 in the foreground.

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11 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Two towers to the north

In this photograph, two of the bridge's massive towers are seen to the north.

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12 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Six towers

From many kilometers away, six towers of the Millau Viaduct are seen spanning the Tarn Valley near Millau, France.

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13 of 21 Kathleen Craig

On the Viaduct

This is a view of the Millau Viaduct taken while driving across the deck of the bridge itself.

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14 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

At night

At night, the towers of the Millau Viaduct are lit and are the only part of the bridge visible from afar.

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15 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Across rooftops

From many places in Millau, it is possible to see the bridge, even across rooftops.

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16 of 21 Kathleen Craig

Five towers of Millau Viaduct

Here, we see five of the towers of the Millau Viaduct--called the "Viaduc de Millau" in French--from just underneath and to the east.

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17 of 21 Kathleen Craig

Just on the bridge

Driving south, this is a view of the Millau Viaduct from the north side of the deck.

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18 of 21 Kathleen Craig

Aire du Viaduc

Just north of the Millau Viaduct, there is a sign indicating one of the many official viewpoints. You can see all seven towers of the bridge in the distance.

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19 of 21 Kathleen Craig

Approaching from the highway

Just before crossing the bridge, it can be seen in the distance ahead.

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20 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Seven towers across the field

All seven towers of the Millau Viaduct are seen from across a golden field of wheat.

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21 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Seven towers up high

All seven towers of the Millau Viaduct are seen from high above the bridge.

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