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Sorry to react as an awful killjoy, but all these praises are annoying me a little.
So beautiful it may seem in architectural terms, the bridge of Millau is nothing else than one more element to encourage road transport, while it is urgently needed to restrain it ! How the hell can we imagine to curb the development of unsustainable individual mobility when billions of euros are spent in this kind of infrastructure ? Pure schizophrenia ...
I don't deny the fact it is a technical wizardry, but it's not in tune with its time. Mankind would better use its ingenuity (and its money) in a more relevant way.


------------- If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear (Orwell)
by Baikal (baikal@no-log.org) on Thu Jun 28th, 2007 at 11:00:07 AM EST
Fully agreed. I'd be happier with a TGV line atop...

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Thu Jun 28th, 2007 at 11:09:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I agree and disagree - you might know that we have a long tradition of looking at bridges on this site (ehem) - so this diary is in a very good tradition reflecting our fascination with the built environment.

But while your criticism that a bridge has hugh environmental impact and be terribly expensive as well, is very well made. It might be that it has infact been a environmental relief to the area. But I have to admit, that I don't know enough about the traffic situation in that area, before the road was opened.

so if my assumption is right, and a bridge had to be built. Given a choice between an 0815 bridge and one designed by Foster - i would always take the Foster bridge.

by PeWi on Thu Jun 28th, 2007 at 11:16:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I think the bridge is beautiful, but I think the need for it was overstated (and was hotly disputed). This is a fairly wild and little inhabited area. By improving roads south towards it, a summer traffic backup was artificially created, heightening public demand for a highway straight through towards the Mediterranean. The regional excuse was the usual "economic development of a backward area". In fact this was giving in to the automobile/public works lobby once again: another major highway from the North to the Med. Meanwhile, TGV projects are on hold...
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Thu Jun 28th, 2007 at 12:58:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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