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This bridge, whose construction began October 10, 2001, will provide a continuous freeway from ParisEiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, and is thus divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to through Clermont-FerrandClermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. It is the prefecture (capital) of the Puy-de-Dome departement''. It sits on the plain of Limagne in the Massif Central and is surrounded by a major i to BéziersBeziers Besiers in Occitan) is a small city in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. It is a sous-prefecture in the department of Herault, with a population around 70,000, called Biterrois. Geography The city is located on a small bluff above the river O. It is intended to free the town of Millau from heavy congestion at the beginning and end of the July and August vacation season. Many tourists heading to southern France and SpainThe Kingdom of Spain is a country located in the southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. To the northeast, along the Pyrenees mountain range, it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra. It inc follow this route because it is direct and mostly toll free. The A75 freeway (la Méridienne) is a developmental project with the aim of speeding up and cheapening car travel from Paris southwards, and it is entirely free for the 340 km between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers. However, the viaduct is constructed under a government contract with the Eiffage group, effective for 75 years. The corporation will impose tolls at agreed upon rates: about €6 for light automobiles, excluding the high traffic months of July and August.
The bridge's steel roadway, which weighs 36,000 metric tons, is 2460 m long and made up of eight spans. The six central spans each measure 342 m, the two outer spans 204 m. It crosses the Tarn valley at its lowest point, linking the causse du Larzac to the causse rouge. It has a light slope of 3% descending from south to north, and curves in plan section on a 20 km radius intended to give drivers better visibility. The roadway is supported by seven concrete pillars with heights from 77 to 246 m, which taper in their longitudinal section form 24.5 m at the base to 11 m at the deck. Each pillar is composed of 16 framework sections weighing 2,230 metric tons a piece. These sections are assembled on site from pieces of 60 metric tons, 4 m wide and 17 m long, made in factories in Lauterbourg and Fos-sur-Mer by the Eiffel company. The pillars support 97 m tall pylons.
This construction will require about 127,000 m³ of concrete, 19,000 metric tons of steel for the reinforced concrete, and 5000 metric tons of pre-stressed concrete for the cables and shrouds. The builder affirms that the bridge's lifetime will be 120 years.