The Millau Viaduct is the property of the French State. The construction company covered the expenses for its erection in return for a 78-year operating concession until 2079. The bridge was also required to be viable for the next 120 years. Its aesthetics and features originated from the work of the architect Michel Virlogeux (Vasco da Gama Bridge in Portugal, Pont de Normandie, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in Turkey) and the British Lord Norman Foster (Pritzker Prize 1999). Highly criticized at the start, the Millau Viaduct has become a major architectural work of the 21st century.