Millau Viaduct facts for kids

Millau Viaduct is a large bridge in Millau, France in the Département of Aveyron. It was designed by the French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Sir Norman Foster.

Before the bridge was built, traffic had to go down into the valley of the Tarn river and pass along the national route N9 near the town of Millau, causing heavy congestion at the beginning and end of the July and August vacation season. The bridge now crosses the Tarn valley above its lowest point, linking the Causse du Larzac to the Causse Rouge, and is inside the perimeter of the Grands Causses regional natural park.

The bridge forms the last link of the A75 autoroute, (la Méridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers. The A75, with the A10 and A71, provides a continuous high-speed route south from Paris through Clermont-Ferrand to the Languedoc region and through to Spain, considerably reducing the cost of vehicle traffic traveling along this route. Many tourists heading to southern France and Spain follow this route because it is direct and without tolls for the 340 km between Clermont-Ferrand and Pézenas, except for the bridge itself.

The Millau Viaduct and the Town of Millau on the right.

Images for kids

• 

  The four proposed routes for the new A75 autoroute around Millau

• 

  Satellite image of the proposed route before construction of the bridge

• 

  The northern half of the road deck being slowly launched across the pylons. View from the west in early 2004

• 

  The Millau Viaduct and the town of Creissels

• 

  A pylon under construction

• 

  View of the rest area with the 'Ferme de Brocuéjouls'

See also

In Spanish: Viaducto de Millau para niños