In
December 2004, Norman Foster's magnificent motorway bridge over the
Tarn valley at Millau opened to traffic. This is the world's highest
bridge (the deck is 900 ft above the valley floor at its deepest) and
the longest suspended bridge in the world, and an engineering wonder of
the world, worth the visit.
The toll booths are located a couple of
kilometres north of the viaduct; just before the northern end
of the viaduct, there is a large motorway rest area, offering
spectacular views of the viaduct, as well as a visitor centre with
information on the bridge and its building. For the best photo
opportunities, arrive at the bridge shortly after sunrise in the
Autumn, when the bridge frequently floats above the overnight mists
that have formed in the valley below.
Information on the Millau bridge,
including audio-visual displays, can also be had in the tourist
information section of the "Aire de l'Aveyron" service area, some 40
kilometres north of the viaduct, at Séverac le Château.
In
detail: the Millau viaduct has the highest road
bridge deck in the world, at a maximum height of 270 m (890 ft) over
the Tarn River. This is almost twice as high as the second-highest road
bridge in Europe, the Europabrücke on Austria's Brenner pass
motorway. There is only one bridge in the world with a higher deck,
that being the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, United States, with a
deck at 321 m (1,050 ft); but this is not open to traffic under normal
circumstances.
The roadway over the bridge is 2.46
kilometres long, and weighs about 36,000 tonnes; it is the longest
cable-stayed bridge deck in the world. The six central spans
are eack 342 metres in length. The bridge took three years to build,
and was opened in December 2004.
The town of Millau: Millau is a small
Mediterranean-style town on the banks of the river Tarn. Once a notable
bottleneck on the old N9 road, Millau is now just a quiet provincial
town, albeit one that is attracting a growing number of
visitors on account of the viaduct. But the viaduct is not the only
thing worth seeing in Millau. Millau is a convenient centre for
exploring the famous Gorges du Tarn - the deepest canyon in France, the
Gorges de la Dourbie, the Causses - barren limestone plateaux - and the
famous blue-cheese cellars at Roquefort.
Some places to stay in Millau: The Ibis economy hotel; or the
Mercure midscale hotel, both near the old town centre.
The A75
Motorway
For people driving to the
Languedoc area
of the south of France or to the Spanish coast, taking the A75 motorway
across the Massif Central mountains can often - but not always - be a
sensible choice. The A71 / A75 motorway route via Orleans and
Clermont Ferrand is the shortest and cheapest way to the Spanish border
at Le Pertuis. Furthermore, it is cheaper on tolls, as the section
between Clermont Ferrand and Beziers is free, except for the toll at
the bridge, which costs just over 5 Euros in winter, and a euro more in
summer.
The motorway across the top of France's Massif
Central remains at an altitude of up to 1000 metres for about
100 km between the the Col de la Fageole at 1107 metres and
the highest point, the Col des Issartets at 1121 metres. So be warned;
this is not a route for cars towing laden caravans, as there are
several long and (for a motorway) steep climbs and descents. There are
also some speed restrictions and permanent speed cameras. The A75 is a
motorway that can get quickly blocked in winter, in the event
of sudden heavy snowfalls which are not uncommon on the high ground.
