Constructing the world's longest cable-stayed bridge

At 2,460 meters the Millau Viaduct is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It crosses over the Tarn River in the south of France at a height of 270 meters. Specialists and structural engineers planned it for 20 years before construction began in the autumn of 2001. The supporting towers were erected first, reaching as high as 340 meters - eclipsing the height of the Eiffel Tower.

While this was happening a company in the Alsace region of France crafted huge prefabricated parts out of steel. They were brought to Millau and put together with painstaking precision. These were used in the construction of the roadway, which was then pushed together in the middle using a hydraulic press. After this the steel cables were mounted on the bridge. They bear the weight in the areas between the supporting towers so the bridge doesn't sag. The roadway won't be completely straight until the steel cables are pulled taut. The best bridge specialists in France had a hand in completing the construction of this motorway bridge, which was designed by the architect Norman Foster. It is said that over 2.2 million hours of labor were spent on this bridge before the first car was able to drive over it.