Would you be afraid to drive on this bridge?

Quite the impressive engineering feat.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

I have been nervous about crossing our aging brides for some time now but now I am even more concerned. I wouldn’t want to have to cross this one when it starts to have some age to it. It is beautiful though, from this angle it looks like a smile.

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

I’d be just as afraid to drive on the roads underneath.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

that’s crazy. You’re right Diane – it’s smiling, saying, “come here, me pretties… let me show you the sights”

i wouldn’t want to drive on it when it was windy either

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Right Debbie!
While driving through North Dakota, You hang tight on the wheel while crossing even short bridges. It seems like you get a wind gust everytime you’re on a brdge.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I remember going across that “Sunshine Skyway” in Tampa/St Pete. Florida. I got stuck in traffic and had really no choice. (Shall I say I was lost??) I went across it with something like a 40mph breeze going…Wow! Dang. Yikes even!! Swaying like one couldn’t believe, oh my gosh! Unfortunately there wasn’t a turnaround. Later that day they closed it, but only after the wind got up to 50mph or so. Same bridge that a tug boat hit about 6 years ago…...

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

I saw them joining this bridge in the center. Each section was started from the opposite end of the valley.
If I remember right they were out about 5 cm.
It custs around 2 hours drivng time off the route as opposed to driving the twisties in the valley.

I’d love to give that thing a whirl!

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

That bridge looks pretty cool. Having known a few civil engineers, I would have to say that the surrent state of engineering (if done with a conscience) is much more sophisticated than even 10-20 years ago. I used to know an engineer that did a great deal of consulting on projects around the world, and he said that he had predicted the fall of the embarcadero in the big earthquake we had a ways back in California. It was just an elementary engineering problem that they had solved some years after the building of the embarcadero, but it was much to late and too costly to fix it at the time. The cool things they can do to concrete to make it stronger, more flexible, and even more translucent, are amazing. The kicker, is if a project was designed well, and even more important, implemented well.

Yikes!

I’m not a big fan of heights, but this is an engineering and building feat!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Lets just say that once I got on it I would not waste any time getting off it.

I drove under this bridge in July ‘05 while it was being constructed. I looked finished, from below, and there were vehicles on the bridge, but it was not open to the public. We were traveled along the highway from the right of the picture down into the valley bottom. Looking up, it was hard to believe – probably the most spectacular bridge I’ve seen anywhere in the world.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Forget the winds. Let’s see the drunk driver!
Or the speeder that looses control.

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

The trouble I have with an engineering feat such as this, is that column 32 may well be designed by a guy that never came to the final solution to any problem. A part mark degree. It looks scary as hell to drive on.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

There was a very nice show on the National Geographic Channel that showed the construction of the bridge. The show is called Megastructures and there are a lot of really good episodes. I have a season pass set up on my Tivo.

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

I’ve seen other pictures of this bridge. It looks like a real engineering marvel. I’d probably be willing to drive it. Do they sale insurance on each side?

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Looks like a good place for a BASE jump! Yee-haw!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

No, I can’t say that I would be afraid to drive across that. It would be really cool.

Besides, if I fell off I know that God would catch me on the first bounce.

-- Jesus was a Jewish carpenter.

I saw some of the video of the making of that bridge. The entire driving platform or roadway, was built on land and moved by very sophisticated hydraulic mechanisms that lifted the roadway and moved it into position. Very interesting procedure. The only time men were actually working on the bridge, was when it was joined in the middle.

-- My Father was my mentor for my woodworking hobby and knowledge. Luv ya Dad.

I’d sure like to see the video of the construction. I wonder if it could be on the internet?

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Well Dick,

Since you asked :)

Enjoy:

Some background info:

http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/millau_viaduct/

More photos:

http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/1158/Default.aspx

Some more photos and some videos (but not construction):

http://technorati.com/tag/millau+viaduct

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22millau+viaduct%22&hl=en&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv

Finally, some more good stuff (and maybe more than you wanted to know). Tons of offshooting links to other sites as well:

http://bridgepros.com/projects/Millau_Viaduct/

-- Jesus was a Jewish carpenter.

One more site (in French):

http://www.leviaducdemillau.com/index.php4?lang=FR

-- Jesus was a Jewish carpenter.

A Big Thank you, Aubrey!!!

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

This is the company that engineered the Hydraulics.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1