World's tallest bridge opens in France

French president Jacque Chirac formally inaugurated the world's tallest bridge in Millau, southern France, on Tuesday, report agencies.

Designed by British architect Norman Foster, the 2.46 km Millau motorway viaduct rests on seven pillars -- the tallest measuring 340 meters (1,122 feet), making it 16 meters (53 feet) taller than the Eiffel Tower, said CNN.

Built in three years at an estimated cost of $523 million, the toll bridge will forge a new link between Paris and the Mediterranean and  ease the major traffic congestion caused by trucks and tourists headed to and from the

Riviera.

Some 28,000 vehicles a day are expected to cross the bridge in the summer months, and about 10,000 a day the rest of the year, according to France's Eiffage construction company, which built it, said CNN.