An amazing feat of human engineering

It's the tallest bridge in the world.  Located in Southern France,  it's taller than the Eiffel Tower.
It cost a half billion U.S. Dollars to build.

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:I wonder who will be the first person to jump off of the bridge?

Dude, that old reliable google gives us the answer. lol

http://www.novinite.com/articles/43580/First+Suicide+from+World%27s+Tallest+Bridge

But it just occurred to me.  Why in hell build a half billion dollar bridge when you could build a highway on the ground for a fraction  of that?
I have no clue what the answer is to that.
Could it be the frogs have politicians like the one who built the Trent Lott Freeway?  The one that goes from Moss Point to somewhere in the Mississippi woods where they built The Trent Lott International Airport?  Which has no scheduled airline traffic?

But it just occurred to me. Why in hell build a half billion dollar bridge when you could build a highway on the ground for a fraction of that?

Thank you for drawing the red line.....it is pure genius.

Ah,  now I get it.  That suicide link reveals this...

The Millau viaduct, inaugurated on December 14 by French President Jacques Chirac, is 2.46 kilometres (1.5 miles) long and carries drivers 270 meters (890 feet) above the river Tarn.

So the answer must be that there are 800 foot tall ships on the Tarn River.

Oh and about that Trent Lott abomination. It may be just a coincidence, but at the time it was happening, Trent Lott's home was on the beach not far from the entrance to the Trent Lott Freeway. lol

After long construction studies by the Ministry of Public Works, the low solution was abandoned because it would have intersected the water table, had a negative impact on the town, cost more, and lengthened the driving distance. The choice of the "high" solution was decided by ministerial decree on 29 October 1991.[13]

If they only had Bob's red line, they would have saved money.

bob wrote: And from what I understand about the state of the French economy now,  I cannot fathom how you could defend wasting that much money on aethestics.

Okay my bad. This bridge finished construction (2005) before the world financial collapse. During the boom days when governments had money to blow. More like money to borrow and blow.
That splains it.

Nope you silly boy.......the grades would have required expensive tunnels or miles of indirect zig zag. There are many reason that water tables would cause more expense, but the bottom line is that your crayon route for the lower route does not understand the elevation changes. A good example for you to study is the new bridge south of the Hoover dam. The old switch backs which went for miles and miles was eliminated with a high route and an amazing bridge which took at least 20 minutes over the red line route which during summer tourist season, like in France had the roads full. This was a cost saving engineering masterpiece, but again they did not have red crayons.

I wish you'd quoted my post you replied to, seaoat. Because I thought I was writing the next post but I was editing that post. Changed the whole thing and now I'm too lazy to try to recreate it. lol

2seaoat wrote: they did not have red crayons.

They do need some red crayons over there, seaoat, to mark all their current balance sheets in that country. Same as this one.
But I keep forgetting how much you like government debt. lol

You've got to stop missing the forest for the trees,  seaoat.

Look down in that little sloping valley alongside the mighty Tran.  
And then move your eyes over to the right to that sleepy little village
of scattered homes.

What you're looking at is the world's biggest version of Bo's Bridge
with Garcon Point to the right.  lol

You've got to stop missing the forest for the trees, seaoat.


I have to admit you are right.....I immediately knew why the high routes work and save money. All through the American west the expensive and slow cut back routes are being replaced by high routes. Have you ever traveled from Phoenix to Vegas by Car? Have you done this during the summer months when the traffic is rendered to a crawl on the cutbacks? You do realize this is the main road for the summer tourists in Europe to travel from France to Spain. This was an immediate recognition of why engineers are choosing the high routes for cost savings, but as to those forests........I need someone with a red crayon to help me.

2seaoat wrote:You've got to stop missing the forest for the trees,  seaoat.


I have to admit you are right.....I immediately knew why the high routes work and save money.  All through the American west the expensive and slow cut back routes are being replaced by high routes.  Have you ever traveled from Phoenix to Vegas by Car?   Have you done this during the summer months when the traffic is rendered to a crawl on the cutbacks?   You do realize this is the main road for the summer tourists in Europe to travel from France to Spain.  This was an immediate recognition of why engineers are choosing the high routes for cost savings, but as to those forests........I need someone with a red crayon to help me.

Seaoat,

This bridge is two lanes in each direction with a shoulder lane.
Ever been just north of Montgomery on I-65 where it goes over
the floodway? That and the Bayou Chico Bridge (but I doubt anything of that height is even needed to traverse the Tarn) would be all that's needed.
Yes it would be more challenging to place that design across changing elevation. But it still would be an easy project and cost a whole helluva lost less than a half billion dollar bridge.
And I repeat, it would not cause any more traffic delay or slowdown because THE ROADWAY AND DRIVING DISTANCE WOULD BE EXACTLY THE SAME FOR EACH.

You really cannot comprehend what the problem is and why the high route was both less costly and could move more traffic. I travel four times a year minimum on 65 through Montgomery. You really are using this comparison?
I guess an Alabama red crayon works better than a Florida red crayon.

220 feet is the highest elevation in Montgomery......do you think you might be understanding the problem yet, and why giving this crossing is so utterly lost that even bread crumbs and red crayons cannot save you.

Seaoat if there was any logic to your argument on this then we would build horizontal bridges of this type on the Interstate system which go from one mountaintop to another.  Instead of building roadways which go up and over the mountain.  In essence, we would build these bridges over every little valley in every little mountain crossing. lol

Let me help you Bob.....I am a patient teacher.......you have a mile and a half roadbed. It is approximately 900 feet high. The American interstate design standards on grade are between 6 and 7% maximum grade with the higher grade in mountain areas having corresponding speed restrictions to allow the higher 7% grade. Now I know math is not your strong point spending all that time on PB in high school, but the roadbed is dissected by a river so the distance to the low point is .75 miles, and from the low point up the other side is .75 miles. The grade using your red line would have to accomodate a 22.72 grade from top to bottom, and 22.72% grade going back up. To achieve the acceptable grade you would have to build a series of switch backs, or a tunnel system which is common in the American west. You simply do not understand. I hope this has been helpful. I think we have too many fence riders with red crayons getting involved in government......I think we need less red crayons and more gray material.

Seaoat if there was any logic to your argument on this then we would build horizontal bridges of this type on the Interstate system which go from one mountaintop to another. Instead of building roadways which go up and over the mountain. In essence, we would build these bridges over every little valley in every little mountain crossing. lol


I know math over a day at the beach was an easy choice for a high school kid, but as an adult, it is a disability.

Seaoat if there was any logic to your argument

I am afraid my answers have been logical and correct.  First, your presumption that engineers are stupid, politicians are stupid, but you have insight is a poker tell.   The Hoover dam high bridge was not technologically available when the dam was built.   So the more expensive and traditional switch back design was implemented.  I have waited over an hour to cross the Hoover dam.   I now can cross it in about four minutes.   The cost savings on these high bridges are remarkable, and when you factor in time and traffic they are a miracle solution to problems once thought impossible.

crickets

2seaoat wrote:crickets

No crickets,  seaoat.  I have a life outside this internet forum.  

To make your argument,  seaoat,  you're equating the terrain alongside the Colorado River with the terrain alongside the Tarn River.
In a word,  you're making your argument based on pure absurdity.  Actually I guess that's two words.  lol

For what it's worth, seaoat, I agree with you that my red crayon
doesn't work in the picture you see below. lol

Another comparison, seaoat