Millau Viaduct belongs to the Common Era — dated here to c. 2004 CE at France. Dates mark a scholarly centre of gravity (dedication, completion, or iconic phase), not a single foundation day.
Norman Foster’s cable-stayed bridge soars above the Tarn valley — taller than the Eiffel Tower at its mast.
How it amazes the brain
Multi-span steel deck, elegant piers, and aerodynamic sections for wind.
Why it counts as a wonder
It never needed a contest ballot to scramble the brain: scale, craft, or sheer improbability is enough.
A motorway that looks like a harp string over clouds.
On dating
CE means years after the traditional birth of Christ. A monument listed as c. 2004 CE may have been founded earlier, rebuilt later, or become famous only in one phase. Engineering wonders (dams, tunnels, orbiting labs) are dated to opening or assembly.
This is story 70 of 100 in The Trend Ledger’s illustrated desk on world wonders raised after the birth of Christ — the companions to our BCE series.