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Highest Bridge in the World Nearing Completion

Posted by michael on from the don't-look-down dept.

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.

3 of 425 comments (clear)

  1. Er... why? by FFFish · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why did they build this bridge? That looks like a perfectly nice valley down there, easy to push a road through, and at 1/100th the cost and no where near the danger.

    Is this a penis boast ("I've got the biggest bridge!"), an environment issue ("No automobiles in this valley!"), an ownership issue, what??

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    1. Re:Er... why? by bobbyque · · Score: 5, Interesting

      For the same reason people build smokestacks...to lift pollution out of a valley. That's the Rhone Valley down there: "Millau's 20,000 residents can also breathe easier--literally--since the bridge opening will put an end to decades of environmental damage caused by the endless lines of vehicles and traffic jams." (http://www.pobonline.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/c overstory/BNPCoverStoryItem/0,2340,108886,00.html)

  2. It's quite a sight by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've been at Milau last summer, and I must say that bridge is quite spectacular, also the way it was built. During the dozen days I was there, you could see the daily progress they made as the cranes moved and the whole bridge was pushed across the pillars little by little. Amazing bridgebuilding technology, really.

    And maybe it's not evident from the pictures, but the bridge does make some sense when you look at the landscape close-up.

    And it's really big. Standing under the pillars makes it look very, very intimidating.