en
Millau Viaduct
Place
France
Client
Eiffage’s construction of the Millau Viaduct
Team
Setec TPI and Norman Foster
Missions
Full project management
Cost of the works (excluding VAT)
€320,000,000
Key points
Total length of the viaduct: 2,460 m. Height of the piers: up to 245 m.
Date
2000–2004 and 2019–2024
Meeting the challenges posed by the elements
The Millau Viaduct stands as a masterpiece of engineering thanks to its multi-cable-stayed design, its 2.46 km steel deck and its piers rising to a height of 245 m, a world record at the time of its inauguration.
Its structural elegance and harmonious integration into the Tarn valley make it as much a technical feat as an architectural one.
The feat also lies in its innovative construction method, notably the gradual launching of the steel deck whilst exposed to strong winds.
setec
tpi played a key role as the main contractor, from design right through to the opening.
“The Millau Viaduct ranks among the finest achievements of our civil engineering. It brilliantly embodies the drive of our research and technology … It symbolises controlled audacity and performance, put at the service of the greatest number.” – Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, 14 December 2004 – (Le Moniteur)
Fifteen years after it was brought into service, our teams were once again called upon to oversee the repainting project.
Key challenges:
- Spanning a deep and geologically complex valley
- Withstanding strong winds that can exceed 150 km/h
- Implementing an innovative construction method, a world first for a structure of this size
