Designed by the structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster, it is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at 343 metres (1,125 ft) — slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 37 m (121 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building.
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It was formally dedicated on 14 December 2004, inaugurated the day after and opened to traffic two days later.
The bridge won the 2006 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award.