Millau Viaduct: A Bridge Taller Than the Eiffel Tower

The Millau viaduct in the south of France is the tallest bridge structure in the world if one includes the pylons over the carriageway. With an overall height of 342 metres, the viaduct out-tops even the Eiffel Tower. In both the concept and the assembly of the 2,460-metre-long multiple cable-stayed bridge, the engineers trod new ground. Using a sliding system specially developed for Millau, the carriageway girders were pushed out from the two ends and joined section by section over the completed piers. During this process, the spans between the piers were halved with the aid of temporary supports, and while the girders were being slid into position, their cantilevered ends were braced against excessive deflection by two of the ultimately seven sets of radial cable stays.