The New Millau Bridge in France: A Sky High Work of Art

The Viaduc de Millau bridge in Southern France, the world's tallest cable-stayed bridge in the world, is nearing completion ahead of its December 17th opening.

The bridge was designed by the English architect, Lord Norman Foster.

It is being built by Eiffage, the same company responsible for building the Eiffel Tower.

Over 500 construction workers have contributed to its completion.

Those who travel the 1.5 mile span will drive 885 feet above land.

The initial goal: To get rid of the Millau traffic bottleneck.

The result: It will tackle the Millau bottleneck, create an alternative, fast route to the Cote d'Azur, and add tremendous man-made beauty to the countryside that many call a work of art.

Once opened, the bridge, via the A75 motorway, will enable Clermont-Ferrand to be reached directly from Beziers.

The motorway connects the Cote d'Azur directly with Paris. It connects Paris and Barcelona, Spain and passes through Languedoc.

Construction officially began on December 14, 2001. It was expected to take 39 months to complete.

The company set a deadline for itself to build the bridge in three years, and they are coming in ahead of schedule.

Toll bridge receipts will enable the company to recover the $300 million cost to build the Millau Bridge.

Because the bridge has become a tourist attra