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World's tallest bridge unveiled in France

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  • 14-12-2004 4:45pm
    #1
    masto1983
    Closed Accounts Posts: 174 ✭✭


    RTE NEWS
    The tallest road bridge in the world has been inaugurated in southwestern France by President Jacques Chirac.

    The Millau motorway viaduct stands 343 metres at its highest point, 23 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, and crosses the valley of the River Tarn for a distance of almost 2.5 kilometres.

    It was designed by the British architect, Norman Foster, and will remove one of the country's most notorious bottlenecks when it opens to traffic on Thursday.


    Was just looking at this and found a serious picture of it here!:
    Millau motorway viaduct


Comments

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    #2
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 39,725 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    wonder would there be any cross winds there?!?!
    more piccys


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    #3
    ambro25
    Registered Users Posts: 5,994 ✭✭✭ambro25


    You wanna hope them security rails are sturdy: looks a long way down, without a parachute...


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    #4
    deRanged
    Registered Users Posts: 3,744 ✭✭✭deRanged


    I've seen that bridge from the ground. It was still under construction then though - couldnt drive over it.
    It's incredibly high - there's solid sides to allow for the cross winds.


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    #5
    Borzoi
    Registered Users Posts: 2,876 ✭✭✭Borzoi


    ambro25 wrote:
    You wanna hope them security rails are sturdy: looks a long way down, without a parachute...

    Appoximately 270mtr from the deck to the ground!

    Saw part of the Discovery program on it, intersting method, if you're an engineer (like me :) )


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    #6
    Scruff
    Registered Users Posts: 4,222 ✭✭✭Scruff


    will they let ye bungie jump off it. that would be cool.


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    #7
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,397 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    Read about it this morning. Pretty impressive. They have been working on that road for donkeys years though..
    Scruff wrote:
    will they let ye bungie jump off it. that would be cool.

    Your a braver man than myself ;)


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    #8
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Also discussed with more pics here

    Mike.


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    #9
    Kersh
    Registered Users Posts: 2,894 ✭✭✭Kersh


    Beee-yootiful piece of work.
    My guess is it would cost the Irish Government at least 8 hundred thousand million (prob in backhanders) to get something that magnificent done here. ;) .
    But it is truly a savage looking bridge.


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    #10
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 91,586 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    cost about 300m and the toll contract runs for ~70 years
    peak tolls about €6.60 and off peak €4.90
    (don't let NTR find out)


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    #11
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,397 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    Kersh wrote:
    Beee-yootiful piece of work.
    My guess is it would cost the Irish Government at least 8 hundred thousand million (prob in backhanders) to get something that magnificent done here. ;) .
    But it is truly a savage looking bridge.

    It cost the French government (taxpayer) nothing to build...

    Tolls for 75 years though


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    #12
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 39,725 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Tolls in France aren't too bad as you get excellent quality roads.
    Furthermore, unlike the likes of the M3 which will go from Clonee to Kells (about 50km) and have two tolls the autoroutes in France go on for several hundred miles, have fewer toll booths per hundred km and the overall cost per mile is cheaper.


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    #13
    ambro25
    Registered Users Posts: 5,994 ✭✭✭ambro25


    Scruff wrote:
    will they let ye bungie jump off it. that would be cool.

    Can't see that happening, unfortunately, as it would be blocking a lane (for support platform, ramp, etc.).

    However, I reckon it won't be long before someone base-jumps it, though:drive by, stop the car halfway-though 5-10 seconds, jump out of the car, then over the railing - wahey!


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    #14
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    ambro25 wrote:
    Can't see that happening, unfortunately, as it would be blocking a lane (for support platform, ramp, etc.).

    However, I reckon it won't be long before someone base-jumps it, though:drive by, stop the car halfway-though 5-10 seconds, jump out of the car, then over the railing - wahey!
    I suspect there will be huge fines/jail time for any would be base jumpers. Getting the car back would be a b*tch. :D


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    #15
    ambro25
    Registered Users Posts: 5,994 ✭✭✭ambro25


    Bond-007 wrote:
    I suspect there will be huge fines/jail time for any would be base jumpers. Getting the car back would be a b*tch. :D

    base-jumper doesn't drive, his/her mate does. + (with curvature & length of bridge) how they gonna know which car the jumper got out of? Done deal...


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