The boat meandered gently through the gorge, allowing passengers to admire the surrounding flora and fauna. Suddenly, the giant's shadow appeared. "There it is, the famous Millau Viaduct! Even more impressive from below," said Ismaël, a guide with tour operator Les Bateliers du Viaduc, who steered the small tourist boat across the water. The colossal architectural structure, made of concrete and steel, links the Causse Rouge in the north to the Causse du Larzac in the south, spanning the Tarn Gorges for almost 2.5 kilometers and reaching a height of 245 meters. Its seven gigantic pillars, topped by enormous stays, unfolded in front of the awe-struck eyes of Jérémie and his family, aboard the boat. "From the moment we arrived, our two daughters wanted to see nothing else," he said. He came to Millau from the Vendée region for the first time at the beginning of July on vacation.
Almost 19 years after its inauguration, the French bridge that for many years has held the position as the highest and longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, has become an integral part of the landscape. Opened to traffic on December 16, 2004, following three years of monumental construction efforts, it enabled the A75 motorway linking Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers to cross the Tarn Gorges, and is the only toll point on the route. It was entirely financed by the private company Eiffage, at a cost of €400 million, which recently became its sole shareholder and has a concession until 2079.
Relieve traffic congestion in Millau
The project materialized around the turn of the 2000s, after decades of debating how to ease congestion in Millau, which was plagued every summer by traffic jams made up of holiday-bound motorists heading for or returning from the southern French coast. The only way to cross the river then was to go through the town of Millau deep in the valley, then climb back up to reach the highway on the Larzac plateau. This created the dreaded "Millau traffic jam," which for a long time tarnished the town's image. "It was a nightmare. The N9 (road) would often be at a standstill for three to four hours," said Pascal Aigouy, a Millau business owner for 30 years and the current owner of the bar-restaurant Le Club.
At the time, the viaduct project was not met with unanimous approval. Locals feared that tourists would abandon the historic center and the valley would be disfigured by a gargantuan structure. 20 years on, objections have faded. "Nowadays, everyone agrees that the bridge, functionality aside, is magnificent and blends seamlessly into the landscape. You won't find anyone against it anymore, unless you announce that it is going to be dismantled," said Patrick Gineste, a former shopkeeper. Now retired, he organizes gatherings of classic car enthusiasts, who enjoy recreating the former traffic jam in town for a day of festivities held every two years.
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