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Millau Bridge in France Facts & Worksheets

The Millau Bridge located in the south France is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It spans a total length of 2,460 meters and stands tall at a height of 270 meters.

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The Millau Viaduct located in the south France is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It spans a total length of 2,460 meters and stands tall at a height of 270 meters. It crosses over the Tarn River. It was designed by a team led by French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and English architect Norman Foster.

See the fact file below for more information on the Millau Bridge in France or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Millau Bridge in France worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

TRAFFIC HISTORY

  • In the 1980s, the Tarn valley was experiencing high levels of road traffic particularly near the commune of Millau, which often resulted in traffic congestion.
  • In the summer especially, the roads in Millau were congested due to holiday traffic on the route from Paris to Spain.
  • To ease the flow of traffic, shorten travel time, and make Millau more accessible and comfortable to locals, a method of making a detour around Millau had long been considered.

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

  • Constructing a road bridge that spans the river and the valley was one of the solutions considered in bypassing Millau.
  • The first plans for a bridge were discussed in 1987.
  • By October 1991, a decision was reached to construct a high structural crossing of the Tarn.
  • The crossing would span around 2,500 meters in total length.
  • From 1993 to 1994, in preparation for the bridge construction, the French government consulted with eight structural engineers and seven architects.
  • The following year, a second study was made by five associated architect groups and structural engineers.
  • In January 1995, the government also began to solicit design ideas for a competition open to the public.
  • In July 1996, the jury decided in favour of a proposal by the Sogelerg consortium led by Michel Virlogeux and Norman Foster: a multi-span cable-stayed bridge.
  • In May 1998, the decision to proceed by grant of contract was made.
  • In June 2000, the competition for the construction contract was launched.
  • In March 2001, the winner was announced: the Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau subsidiary established by the Eiffage group, a French civil engineering construction company.
  • In August 2001, they were awarded the prime contract to proceed with construction.

CONSTRUCTION

  • The first stone was laid on December 14, 2001.
  • Workers began digging the deep shafts two weeks later.
  • In January 2002, pier foundations were laid.
  • In March 2002, the pylons materialized, resulting in a quick increase in the speed of construction with each pylon increasing by 4 meters every three days.
  • In September 2002, the assembly of roadway began.
  • From November 2002 to November 2004, the piers were built.
  • In February 2003, the first pieces of roadway were laid.
  • Pylons and shrouds were installed in 2004.
  • The official inauguration of the bridge was held on December 14, 2004.
  • The bridge was opened two days after its inauguration (December 16, 2004) which was ahead of schedule.
  • January 10, 2005 was originally planned as the opening date.
  • The Eiffage group, which built the Millau Bridge also operates it under a government contract, which permits the company to collect tolls for up to 75 years.

LOCATION

  • The Millau Viaduct is on the area of the communes of Millau and Creissels, France.
  • Before the construction of the Millau Bridge, traffic had to go down the Tarn valley and pass along the route nationale N9 near the town of Millau.
  • The bridge now spans across the Tarn valley above its lowest point, linking two plateaus, the Causse du Larzac and the Causse Rouge.

STRUCTURE

  • The bridge is made up of seven pylons.
  • A pylon is a bar that supports the structure.
  • There are four deep shafts per pylon which are 15 meters deep and 15 meters in diameter..
  • The shafts are built to secure the stability of the pylons.
  • At the bottom of each pylon, a tread of 3 to 5 meters in thickness was installed to strengthen the support held by the shafts.
  • The abutments, which are the substructures at the ends of the bridge supporting its superstructure, are made of concrete and anchor the road deck to the ground in the plateaus.
  • The metallic road deck comprises eight spans and is 2,460 meters in length and 32 meters in width.
  • There are seven masts that are 87 meters high each.
  • A mast is a major structure projecting upward from the bridge, often vertically.
  • The masts weigh around 700 tonnes each and are set on top of the concrete pylons.
  • Between each of them, eleven pairs of cable stays are anchored, which support the road deck.
  • Each cable stay was made of 55 to 91 high tensile steel cables formed of one central strand and six intertwined strands.
  • The pylons, road deck, masts, and cable stays are equipped with a large number sensors to detect even the slightest movement and enable structural health monitoring.

Millau Bridge in France Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Millau Bridge in France across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Millau Bridge in France worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Millau Viaduct located in the south France which is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It spans a total length of 2,460 meters and stands tall at a height of 270 meters. It crosses over the Tarn River. It was designed by a team led by French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and English architect Norman Foster.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Millau Bridge in France Facts
  • Names and Dates
  • Construction Timeline
  • Structural Terms
  • Which is True?
  • Location Blanks
  • Bridge Word Search
  • Bridges of the World
  • Comparing Bridges
  • Millau Bridge Jingle
  • My Bridge Design

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