Hoover Dam Bridge

[Ray LeTourneau]

I heard a while back that a new bridge was being built at the Hoover Dam. I also heard there were a lot of congestion problems. Does anyone know what the status is on the new bridge? Lin & I are going to Vegas for a couple days this week and would like to visit the Dam. Thanks

 

[caissiel]

We were in Las vegas tis fall and went to the dam. The new bridge is moving along, very slow the comments were that it would be a few years. We had no problems because we were on a tour bus passing through. A guard came in our bus and checked the passenger list.

 

[smday]

We were there last Feb. Traffic wasn't that bad. Not sure on what the status of the bridge is now. Here is what it looked like last year.

 

[caissiel]

Not much more done now, have pics but on the other PC, and not on line.

 

[trdeal]

A friend of mine sent me these pictures a few days ago.Very interesting.We were out there about 5 or so years ago.They had just begun the bypass at that time.

THE WIDER VIEW: Taking shape, the new bridge at the Hoover Dam

Creeping closer inch by inch, 900 feet above the mighty Colorado River, the two side of a
$160 million bridge at the Hoover Dam slowly takes shape.

The bridge will carry a new section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can
be twisting and winding around and across the dam itself.

When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevadaand Arizona .
In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be supported on the two massive concrete
ar ches which jut out of the rock face.

The arches are made up of 53 individual sections each 24 feet long which have been
cast on-site and are being lifted into place using an improvised high-wire crane strung between temporary steel pylons.

The arches will eventually measure more than 1,000 feet across. At the moment, the structure looks
like a traditional suspension bridge. But once the arches are complete, the suspending cables on each side
will be removed. Extra vertical columns will then be installed on the arches to carry the road.
The bridge has become known as the Hoover Dam bypass, although it is officially called the
Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, after a former governor of Nevada and an American Football
player from Arizona who joined the US Army and was killed in Afghanistan. Work on the bridge started in 2005
and should finish next year. An estimated 17,000 cars and trucks will cross it every day.

The dam was started in 1931 and used enough concrete to build a road from New York to San Francisco .
The stretch of water it created, Lake Mead , is 110 miles long and took six years to fill.
The original road was opened at the same time as the famous dam in 1936.

An extra note: The top of the white band of rock in Lake Mead is the old waterline prior to the drought
and development in the Las Vegas area. It is over 100 feet above the current water level.

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[porthole]

Here ya go - in all it's high resolution glory!

http://www.hooverdambypass.org/Photo_Gallery.htm

I have a couple of neat pics I took 4-5 years ago when construction first started, I'll post them later.

 

[porthole]

And in case you miss the construction album.

http://www.hooverdambypass.org/Const_PhotoAlbum.htm

 

[PUG]

I was over the dam about two weeks ago from the nevada side to the arizona side. They have an inspection station on both sides where they ask a couple of questions and may want to look briefly in your unit. Took only a few moments, no problems. The new bridge has been connected now and they are laying decking. It should be complete which will vastly cut down time by summer i believe.

 

[branson4020]

I must be on somebody's watch list. When we drove over last October they looked in every outside compartment, including using an inspection mirror to look behind the propane bottles. They looked in the refrigerator and I had to extend the bedroom slide so they could look into the closet.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Thanks for all the response! I did find that website and there is more info than you can imagine. I'm guessing we'll do the full tour. It's been over 30 years since we've been to Vegas. It should be fun. We may even kill some time (donate to the casinos) there when we head back East this Spring.

 

[trdeal]

Sorry about my post above.There is supposed to be pictures there also.

 

[htneighbors]

I must be on somebody's watch list. When we drove over last October they looked in every outside compartment, including using an inspection mirror to look behind the propane bottles. They looked in the refrigerator and I had to extend the bedroom slide so they could look into the closet.

You looked guilty!

Years ago, I lived within walking distance of where I worked. Walking home after work one night - I got 'pulled over' because I "fit the description of a murder suspect seen in the area" - Both hands went straight in the air - "It wasn't me!" He could've given me a ride the rest of the way home after that, huh?!

 

[buckeyebob]

we crossed over in july 06 and homeland security was all over us.then this other guard walks out ,sees our ohio plates and starts talkin buckeye football!!!doesnt even enter camper,he was from dayton ohio and on we drove,36 foot monaco cayman mh. and my sob.trailer.if terrorists start to look like old fat white guys we are in trouble.