Tallest Bridge In The World Spans The Clouds Across Southern France(PIC)

[Champ]

MILLAU, France -- Thundering fighter jets streamed the blue, white and red of the French tricolor as President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday dedicated the world's tallest bridge, a skyway span dwarfing the Eiffel Tower by more than 50 feet.

Ahead of its public opening Thursday, the Millau bridge in southern France has been celebrated as a work of art combining the strength of cement and steel with the "delicacy of a butterfly."

Images of the bridge, which dominates the Rhone Valley countryside for miles, have appeared in national media for days.

Stretching 1.6 miles through France's Massif Central mountains, the bridge will enable motorists to take a drive 891 feet above the Tarn River valley.

Chirac underscored the national pride stirred by the bridge by lifting a French flag from its ceremonial plaque, followed by air force jets trailing the colors of France.

http://www.wftv.com/newsofthestrange/3995671/detail.html

[AzDar]

1. Wow....that is impressive, and somehow beautiful. n/t

[tjdee]

2. I don't like driving on bridges. Scary.

This bridge, and...isn't there a bridge that goes out to the Florida Keys?....other bridges.

I like pictures of them, but I always think of accidentally driving off the bridge when I'm driving on the bridge. And falling falling falling....and drowning.

I hate driving on bridges.
:scared:

[MaryH]

5. I'm afraid of heights - I would hate that bridge.

But it is beautiful to look at.

[Katarina]

10. I'm the same way

I hate hate HATE bridges! Doesn't matter what bridge it is, I freak out. Growing up we would go from Florida to North Carolina several times a year to visit my grandparents and my father, asshole that he is, took great delight in tormenting me every time we went over the Savannah bridge(don't remember the proper name and it's been rebuilt since then). He would swerve and tell me we were falling over the side, stop on top of the bridge and say the bridge was collapsing and other things. I would literally get sick from it an hour before we even reached Savannah. That has stayed with me all these years. I'm 39 years old, I know I'm not being rational, but I don't care, they scare me! If I never went on another bridge in my life I would die happy. Ick!

[Droopy]

3. Just looking at that picture would totally freak out my mom

She has a bridge phobia.

[Placebo]

4. I started a thread about this a couple days ago.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2210240 :hi:

[Champ]

7. I love this pic

[XNASA]

6. France, huh?

I'm sure it was built with illegal lucre from international arms sales and drug running. :eyes:

<sarcasm off>

I hope that I can one day ride a motorbike across it. Looks great.

[ronnykmarshall]

8. Damn French.

Always so uppity!

[XNASA]

11. Yeah. And their food sucks too.

;-)

[ooglymoogly]

9. it is magnificent