The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed bridge that crosses the Tarn Valley in southern France. It is the tallest bridge in the world, with pylons reaching 343 meters high. The bridge was built to alleviate traffic congestion on the major route from Paris to Spain. Construction began in 2001 and was completed in 2004, ahead of schedule. A consortium of international contractors was involved in building the complex bridge, which involved constructing tall pylons, assembling the bridge deck between them, and installing cables to support the deck.