An engineering marvel takes shape near Hoover Dam

hosted ^ | Feb 7 | FELICIA FONSECA

[JoeProBono]

Less than a mile downstream from one of the nation's best-known engineering marvels, the Hoover Dam, a second is taking shape.

A soaring 1,900-foot span across the gorge created by the Colorado River on the Arizona-Nevada border should be completed this fall, eliminating much of a sometimes hourlong bottleneck as traffic creeps over the dam on the key route between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

When it is scheduled to open in November, motorists will cross the longest bridge of its kind in the western hemisphere, with towering concrete columns that rise above a twin rib arch beneath them.

"It's pretty spectacular," said Sidney Spears, a 68-year-old retired truck driver from South Dakota, sitting at the dam and admiring the bridge 1,500 feet away. "This day and age, they are only limited by their imagination."

[TruthHound]

[Las Vegas Ron]

I goofed that last one.....

[Clock King]

Dam tourists! Get you dam souvenirs at the dam souvenir shop.

[libh8er]

Do they have any special security checks for traffic going across the dam

Absolutely. Every vehicle has to stop and they do a quick visual inspection. Most are allowed to drive through but some get pulled over for greater scrutiny. And after the attempted Christmas Day/Fruit-of-the-Loon incident I have noticed security is even tighter. This bottleneck is one of the reasons for the new bridge which will bypass Hover Dam.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Yes they do and it's a pain in the butt.

Coming back from Phoenix last June it took and hour and a half to get across, the traffic was backed up so far because they were stopping every car.

This will eliminate that plus the back ups that occur from the slow traffic driving over the dam.

[Vendome]

Dam Straight! LOL

[yellowroses]

I had a hard time driving across the dam, I don’t think I could dare drive across that bridge. Gosh, I’m a coward...

[CedarDave]

As I recall, truck traffic is banned and has to go via Laughlin, NV, a long round-about route.

[Las Vegas Ron]

LOL, it is a long ways up!

[libh8er]

That's correct. But they won't have to after the mythical Interstate 11 is commissioned.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Since 911 I believe. In fact IIRC, it was closed period for a good amount of time.

[aimhigh]

Amazing photos. Thanks for posting.

[HardStarboard]

>>>Cool!<<<

There was a time back when I was young in the late 40's/50's where America cranked out amazing infrastructure as a weekly occurance....this is great to see.

A reawakening of America financially might make achievements like this more common place again.

But it won't happen under Obama!

[Grut]

My immediate reaction is: Urk!

[stylecouncilor]

Dam bridge ping.

[Lurker]

Here's a factoid for you. The Empire State building went from hole in the ground to open for business in about year.

[onedoug]

Some dam bridge indeed!

[CalvaryJohn]

Concrete arches are beautiful things. But I wonder why they didn’t build a cable stayed span. Looks like they practically had to anyway, just to hold up the arch.
I will now take off my engineer’s hat and open myself up to humiliation by someone who knows why.

[ccmay]

Is the lake that high now? Last time I went through there, the intake towers looked a hundred feet above water level.

[papasmurf]

Great post, thanks.

But, you think the AP could include the name of the bridge?

The Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, or, the M&P to some.