Millau Viaduct
Cable Stayed Motorway Bridge Over The Tarn Valley Designed By Norman Foster And Michel Virlogeux, Opened 2004, With The Tallest Bridge Pier In The World As Usually Stated · Millau, Occitanie
The Millau Viaduct carries the A75 motorway across the valley of the Tarn just west of Millau, in the south of the Massif Central. Designed by the engineer Michel Virlogeux with the architect Norman Foster and opened at the end of 2004, it is a cable-stayed bridge about two and a half kilometres long, resting on seven slender concrete piers, with a mast and a fan of cables above each one. The tallest pier is usually described as the highest bridge pier in the world, and at its peak the structure stands higher than the Eiffel Tower. Seen from the valley floor, it looks light and thin against the limestone plateaus, and on some mornings low cloud fills the valley and leaves the deck and masts floating above it. Crossing is a matter of seconds and there is a toll; the real visit is from below, from the visitor area, and from the roads and villages around the valley. Millau itself is a glove-making and paragliding town, and the Gorges du Tarn and the Roquefort cheese caves are close by.
A75 motorway over the Tarn valley, Millau, Aveyron, Millau, Occitanie, France
The viaduct itself is part of the A75 motorway and open to traffic at all hours, all year, with a toll collected at the plaza just north of the bridge; pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed on the deck except at rare organised events. The visitor area below the bridge, with its exhibition, shop and café, is open daily for much of the year, with longer hours in summer, shorter hours in winter and some closures in the quietest months; confirm the current timetable before a special trip. The motorway rest area on the plateau north of the bridge, the Aire du Viaduc de Millau, is open around the clock for fuel and toilets, while its information space and shops keep daytime hours. Guided tours and occasional visits under the deck or with an engineer's commentary run on set dates and must be booked. The small road viewpoints and the valley roads are free and open at any time. Wind can bring speed restrictions or, very rarely, closures for high-sided vehicles. Summer weekends and the start and end of French school holidays bring heavy traffic and queues at the toll plaza.