In Europe, bridges cost less than in Brazil.
Left, the Normandy bridge; right, the Millau Viaduct; both in France, they have another point in common: they cost much less per kilometer than Brazilian bridges like the bridge over the Rio Negro (center); not to mention the style.
Roberta Namour, 247 correspondent in Paris - Europeans are lovers of grand monuments and constructions. It's no wonder, then, that the continent boasts the world's tallest viaduct, the Millau Viaduct. Located in the Aveyron department of France, it spans 2,46 kilometers and reaches a height of 270 meters at its highest point, with winds that can reach 200 km/h. An important link on the A75 highway between the cities of Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers, this project took thirteen years of technical and financial studies, but only three years to build. The structure was designed by architect Norman Foster and its total cost was 400 million euros – or R$ 383 million per kilometer. This value is R$ 17 million less than the initial estimated cost per kilometer of the Guaíba River bridge in Porto Alegre, which is 2,9 kilometers long.
The construction of the French viaduct sparked interest from several countries, both in terms of technical aspects and operational planning. The Chinese Minister of Transport visited the construction site in the first year after its inauguration. The office of then-Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was planning to build a bridge across San Francisco Bay, sought advice from the Millau municipality.
Still in France, the Normandy bridge is another good example of European expertise in this type of construction. The cable-stayed bridge connects the city of Le Havre to Honfleur. It spans 2,14 kilometers and is 214,7 meters high. Designed by Michel Virlogeux, it took seven years to build, from 1988 to 1995. The total cost of the project was 233 million euros – almost half the cost of the Millau Bridge.
The Danube River recently gained a new bridge. On May 14, 2007, the Bulgarian Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the construction linking Romania and Bulgaria. Spanning 2 kilometers, the project consumed €116 million in European Union funds – or the equivalent of R$133,4 million per kilometer, 2,3 times more than the cost of the 42-kilometer-long bridge over Jiaozhou Bay, which had a final price of R$2,4 billion. However, they all have one thing in common: they are always cheaper than the Brazilian bridges.