Pix Of The Day: Close, But No Cigar Just Yet
CREDITS: © Net Resources International (NRI)/RoadTraffic-Technology.com
MAPS: Millau, France. Thumbnail click pops-up source page with larger image.

In the south of France they are busy building a bridge of mind boggling dimensions. It will soar on pylons across the valley of the River Tarn, from high plateau to high plateau on either side of the river valley. The project began in mid 2002 and the bridge is expected to be open to traffic on 10 January 2005. The work has been estimated to have a final cost of €310,000,000, and is expected to become the second most frequently visited tourist destination in France.

Today's featured picture shows the point from where the bridge decking will be built out from one plateau towards the opposite plateau. RoadTraffic-Technology.com has good web site coverage of the construction, with details of the fabrication of the component parts, and the logistics of putting it all together.

Here is the description from the RoadTraffic-Technology.com web site, With a total height of 343m, taller than the Eiffel tower, the structure is expected to be the highest viaduct in the world and will be the first cable-stayed bridge to be built with seven pylons instead of the usual two or three. 2,460m in length, the crossing is expected to last, by car, around one minute.

The reason the bridge is being featured here, was to establish the highest bridge in the world. The impressive 343m seems to be total pylon height, whereas the clearance above the river is a less convincing 235m (771ft). We think the New River Gorge Bridge may still be the winner at 876ft, at least in our eyes. The search goes on, and we will let you know.

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