Highest Bridge in the World Nearing Completion

An anonymous reader writes "A weekend cookie for all engineering geeks out here. The central span of the Millau bridge (270 meters or 886 ft) has been completed!" The photo is awesome.

Comments

Humans rule.

[Elwood P Dowd]

(See subject.)

My favorite part

[bobbabemagnet]

From the project site: "As a truly emblematic signature of the town whose name it carries, it will, just by its very existence, lead to economic and cultural growth."

Is it just me, or does completely bypassing a town actually hurt its economic and cultural growth?

Re:Highest Bridge?

[Jeffrey Baker]

I think the point is not the depth of the hole under the roadway, but the height of the piers.

Re:eccentric?

[lazy_arabica]

Is there an engineering reason for it being this tall? Based on the photos it would appear not.

Hum... you mean, based on a very small photo with no topographic information, you can't find a reason for this bridge to be that tall ? :)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong in thinking this is just the French being eccentric.

Hugh. I'm french. And I didn't decide to build that bridge.

Re:Er... why?

[Negadecimal]

They built it because every summer thousands of cars get stuck in Millau while traveling from north to south.

Did they really need a bridge, though? Why not just build a long highway with no onramp/exit ramps. Easily the same footprint as a bridge, and without a concrete eyesore over the French countryside.

Re:Biggest/Tallest/Most/Best Terror Targets

[fiannaFailMan]

Are we looking at yet another awe inspiring structure to be on a terrorists list of possible targets?

Quite right. Let's stop building bridges, tall buildings (the Pentagon wasn't tall, but hey) and other big things that might be hit by terrorists. In fact let's just stay indoors, lock the door and don't move.