"two high plateaux." TIL the plural of plateau is plateaux in the UK.
So are there multiple Bordeaux?
Millau Viaduct
31–40 of 72 posts
Re: Millau Viaduct
#32Good B1M video about the making of the viaduct and its impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQA8303vxjE
Re: Millau Viaduct
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
I remember as a child being stuck in the back seat of the car for over three hours in 35°C heat just to get through Millau. The town is at the bottom of a very steep valley and it is very difficult to avoid (this involves extremely steep and narrow farm roads that are difficult to navigate without a small 4x4).
How has the bypass caused Millau to change? Has it prospered or faded now that there is no through-traffic?
Tourism is good, and the area is renowned for trail running, gravel biking (UCI World Series), mountain biking and paragliding.
The viaduct has made some villages on the plateaus much more accessible. Small industrial businesses have set up shop.
The only thing that sucks is that the little railway line will probably never reopen.
Re: Millau Viaduct
#34I was lucky enough to visit a few years ago. A great technical achievement and a design classic.
The approach from the Mediterranean side is very well done. The road curves with a hill blocking most of the bridge. As you turn the corner, the bridge comes into view. As you move onto the bridge and valley drops away and you get an idea of how high you are.
Later on I got the view from an airplane after leaving Béziers. A different view but did show how the bridge sits in the landscape.
If you get the chance to visit, you should.
Re: Millau Viaduct
#35Pas mal non ? C'est français.
Re: Millau Viaduct
#36I live a 2-hour drive from this, so I have driven on it several times. It's very impressive and always a nice part of the journey. And it's not only beautiful, it's also very useful. Before it was built, you had to go through small roads and villages, which, in addition to taking more time, was not very comfortable for the people living there.
TBH most people I know who regularly drive there still take the Millau valley route, since the viaduct toll is quite expensive at 13€ in the summer (just to cross the bridge)
Re: Millau Viaduct
#37I live a 2-hour drive from this, so I have driven on it several times. It's very impressive and always a nice part of the journey. And it's not only beautiful, it's also very useful. Before it was built, you had to go through small roads and villages, which, in addition to taking more time, was not very comfortable for the people living there.
TBH most people I know who regularly drive there still take the Millau valley route, since the viaduct toll is quite expensive at 13€ in the summer (just to cross the bridge)
Doing a bit of googling it seems people report saving anything from 20 min to 1 hour by taking the bridge. But during some particular holidays, where there is lots of traffic, the saving can become 4 hours.
Re: Millau Viaduct
#38I visited it last year. It’s 2.4km long and at its highest point the Eiffel Tower could fit under the road. Remarkably the construction cost was only €394 million.
For comparison the planned 4.2km Lower Thames Crossing has already cost £1.2bn (€1,400 million) just for the planning phase with nothing built. The French know how to build.
Re: Millau Viaduct
#39Everything I can find about it is overwhelmingly positive but I'd be interested to hear some counterarguments. I've never seen it in person, but to me, it is a bit too angular and brutalist. Something with a more arched styling could have been nice, if it was technically feasible.
Re: Millau Viaduct
#40I drove over this bridge over a decade ago and stopped at the visitor center just below it. As an engineering and architect geek it was the highlight of the trip for me (and the family too!).
As Bad Bunny said, "debi tirar mas photos!", because I didn't take nearly enough.