Damage has also been caused to bridges by "scouring" - the wear caused by flotsam colliding with bridge piers below the waterline of the rivers they span.

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But more than a wonder of epic size and technology, the gracefully curved bridge, supported on needlelike piers, is a masterpiece of daring and majesty.

WSJ: A Concrete Ribbon Through the Clouds | Millau Viaduct | Masterpiece by Joseph Giovannini

The designers buried the foundations deeply, so that the piers supporting the bridge would shoot up from the ground like "blades of grass, " Mr. Foster said, with no apparent support.

WSJ: A Concrete Ribbon Through the Clouds | Millau Viaduct | Masterpiece by Joseph Giovannini

From its ribbon cutting in 2004, the viaduct was destined for Guinness: When finished, it had the highest road deck in Europe, the tallest piers and highest bridge tower in the world, and the longest launch of a bridge deck.

WSJ: A Concrete Ribbon Through the Clouds | Millau Viaduct | Masterpiece by Joseph Giovannini

Before work can be done, authorities must inspect the river's piers to ensure that they can hold the temporary bridge and must remove the remainder of the collapsed structure out of the water.

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