Saturday, May 29, 2004
French Build the Highest Bridge in the World
While U.S. transport is getting bogged down by grandiose but ultimately useless rail plans, the French are building the tallest bridge in the world. It is 1.5 miles long, 900 feet high (to the road; another 300 feet to the tower tops), and is costing $378 million to build. If some U.S. city proposed to spend $378 million in tax dollars for a 1.5-mile rail line, we would certainly complain, but this bridge is being built entirely with private money, and the builder will get to collect tolls on it for 75 years.
Built in southern France on the route from Paris to Barcelona, it will save truckers and travelers a lot of time and congestion. Naturally, some people think it will "mar" the French countryside (scroll down for a few negative comments), but the French (some respondents suggest) don't seem to mind. The bridge will open in early 2005, so Wendell and I will have to plan a visit to the area next year.
Built in southern France on the route from Paris to Barcelona, it will save truckers and travelers a lot of time and congestion. Naturally, some people think it will "mar" the French countryside (scroll down for a few negative comments), but the French (some respondents suggest) don't seem to mind. The bridge will open in early 2005, so Wendell and I will have to plan a visit to the area next year.
Comments:
It is one of the first things I intend to do next year. The area is in the French Central Massif, which is beautiful country. While the bridge will be toll, much of the route itself (Clermont-Ferrand to the A-9) is not, which will provide a much more scenic and considerably less expensive route, bypassing the principal A-6/A7/A-9 route through Lyon, well known for some of the world's highest truck densities (made necessary by the fact that there is little room for freight on European rail systems, which are largely dedicated to passenger service). My Hertz rental car is already being warmed up at Gare de Lyon. Hope you can join me Randal, the scenery is spectacular, at least for the last couple of hundred miles.
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