The Amazing Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Nears Completion
As this immense project nears its completion, take a look at some wonderful photos taken both onsite, around, above and below the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. It cannot be said that the golden age of engineering is over when we can still produce projects like this.
It was a few months ago that Scienceray took a preliminary look at the momentous construction project going on near the Hoover Dam – you can see it here. Then we saw how the project began in 2005 and we left it in June of 2009. At that point the arch was more than fifty percent complete and it was hoped that the two sides would meet in the fall. That is in the here and now, so let’s take a look at how the project has progressed since then. Have the hopes of the bridge builders come to fruition?
All attention since June has been focused on the arch that will underpin the road that will connect the States of Arizona and Nevada. Certainly, it seems to be painstaking work and the work literally seems to inch towards completion. Not to worry, though. The folks of the two neighboring States are patient people – after all the Dam itself is close to celebrating its seventy fifth birthday. Those who remember its grand opening back in the Great Depression are now octogenarians. Still, the near completion of the arch is cause enough to fly the flags, even though there is a painstaking six feet still to go. Look at this great shot from the completion day in August, however.
If you look to the right of the flags – about ten meters or so, you will see a tiny figure with a safety hat and orange coat. That’s one of the construction workers and gives an idea of the sheer scale of the project. There is no doubt that those working on the project must not be afflicted by bouts of vertigo – however occasional. Would you want to be up that high? Just to put it in to context, it is over two hundred and fifty meters down from this height. As Shaggy might say, yikes.
Talking of things (rather than people) in their eighties, the bridge is now eighty five percent complete. The arches have been connected. Earlier in the year the contractors had finished work on the steel tub girders and the deck on the spans and the first segments of each arch were cast. The very last sections of the arch were connected on 27 August 2009. After this the supporting cable system had to be removed and this took a further two weeks. The arch became free standing and self supporting on 27 August.
There is more work to be completed. This includes setting the precast columns and erecting the steel girders. What is most important, of course, for those who will use the bridge, is the casting of the roadway itself – both the deck and the barriers. From road level, the archway is nearing completion in July.
It is still July and the arch is nearing completion. Although there is a month to go before their removal, the supporting cable system is still in place. What a tragedy it would be if the cables were to give way at this point in time – the whole construction would plummet in to Lake Mohave like the denouement of some James Bond movie. Fortunately, the brilliance of the engineers and the construction workers would pay off. By August the arch would be free standing.
So, when visitors are allowed on the bridge, what will the view of the Hoover Dam be like? The picture above gives you an idea, taken from the bypass bridge itself. Breath taking is quite the word.
The next part of this piece contains photos from the actual bridge itself taken on the day that the arch became free standing – August 27 2009. The bridge itself is huge – but it is close to the dam – around five hundred meters all told. If you want the full name for the bridge then you must refer to it as the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. Could we not call it the M&P for short perhaps? O’Callaghan was the Governor of Nevada back in the nineteen seventies and a Korean War veteran. Tillman too was a veteran, but of the Afghanistan conflict where he was killed in action in 2004, his death surrounded by more than a few conspiracy theories.
The bridge on the day the arch became single. If you look between the two spans you will see another worker, crouching on a platform. Again, this gives you a sense of sheer scale but, rather more interesting (to Science Fiction fans, at least) is the small blue box on the center right hand side of the picture. Could it be that a certain Time Lord is thwarting another attempt by evil alien invaders to launch an attack on the earth from the Hoover Dam? Or is that just what construction workers, taken short, refer to as a room called rest?
This shot gives a really good feeling of how high the actual bridge will be when it is completed. As you can see, the bridge will not be slim, exactly. It is a new section of Highway 93 and as such will have two lanes each way over the complete span of five hundred and seventy meters. A stagger inducing two hundred and fifty six meters above the river at its base, the bridge will not, however, afford drivers a view of the Hoover Dam as they cross. It is way too high for that. They will, however, be able to park and walk across the entire span should they wish, pretty much where the workers are on the left.
Now the arch is complete there is almost another full year of work to be done to complete the bridge. That will include the construction of columns on the arch itself that will eventually provide support for the roadway (see second to last picture – work has started). Overall the statistics are very impressive. About twelve hundred construction people have worked on the project with a further three hundred engineers. The bridge is not the only feat of engineering – the four miles of four lane highway (which doesn’t in itself sound too impressive) was very difficult because of the rugged terrain that surrounds the area on all side. The highway on its own cost over twenty million dollars.
This picture of the Hoover Bypass Bridge was taken from Lake Mohave by boat in September 2009. You can clearly see how the supporting cable system has now been removed and the arch is now free standing. This marvelous image captures the sheer scale and grandeur of the project and proves that sometimes, when it comes to photography, looking up is just as effective as looking down.
However, the view from the heavens is just as remarkable. These shots were taken from a passing United Airlines flight to Las Vegas. A breathtaking view from September 13 2009, the project can now be easily imagined complete. Scienceray will return for the opening of this amazing bridge – hopefully in November 2010. Watch this space. For now, in October 2009, we say goodbye to the bridge. As you can see, the pillars which will support the bridge road are now being built from the arch itself. Amazing.
Let us finish here, however, with a gorgeous high definition shot of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge taken in October 2009.
You may Also Like: The Incredible Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Under Construction (this site)
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44 Responses to “The Amazing Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Nears Completion”
On October 27, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Wonderful article, I saw this bridge last year when it was still under construction it is incredible! I know I give the guys a lot of credit for being up there in those baskets, it is high and I dont like heights. I am not sure if I could even cross it when it is done. Amazing though!
On October 27, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Quite an impressive bridge.
On October 27, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Wonderful! Looks great!
On October 27, 2009 at 3:52 pm
A nice piece of work about a nice piece of work.
On October 27, 2009 at 6:33 pm
That looks amazing. I still need to visit Hoover Dam.
On October 28, 2009 at 3:14 am
Amazing photos. The sad things is that the Hoover Dam was one of the worst environmental disasters we have created — it just destroyed the lower Colorado that once flowed out to the sea. The government has funded awful environmental disasters in the name of creating jobs.
Still, bridges are amazing feats of engineering.
Thanks for this.
On October 28, 2009 at 7:47 am
Driving US 93 over the dam has always been slow going made worse after 9/11 checkpoints. Up to a two hour delay. If you have never been there, by all means see it. Be advised the tour inside and the photo-op turnouts are closed. A faster route between Las Vegas and I40 is highway 95 to Needles, Ca. or cut off through Laughlin, Nv. to Kingman, Az. Happy Trails.
On October 28, 2009 at 8:18 am
Wow! Incredible article and thanks for sharing such great photos. I was very impressed!
On October 28, 2009 at 9:35 am
Thanks for the tip, Carl. I’ll be heading out that way in a couple of weeks, and might check this out.
On October 28, 2009 at 10:33 am
Another great read. Great pics, loving it.
On October 28, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Amazing bridge, a wonder made for men.
On October 28, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Pretty sure Shaggy would say “zoinks,” not “yikes.”
On October 28, 2009 at 8:22 pm
My dad is completely fascinated by the Hoover Dam Bridge. I’m sending a link to this article to him. The pics are amazing. Nicely done.
On October 29, 2009 at 11:43 am
Well done. Great update. Wonderful photos of an impressive project.
On October 29, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I have never seen the Hoover dam in person. So, this was fascinating for me. thx. Stumbled!
On October 29, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Impressive bridge. I would like to see that from the air.
On October 29, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I too have never see this part of the US. Thanks for the tour RJ.
On October 29, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Wow! Incredible article and thanks for sharing such great photos. I was very impressed!
On October 30, 2009 at 2:20 am
Wow! Amazingly beautiful photo. Thanks.
On October 30, 2009 at 3:03 am
Great article and photos!
A10+++
On October 30, 2009 at 5:13 am
Thanks for sharing this, it’s amazing what people can do, I was there too last year and I was really impressed.
If Bridges like this are impressive pieces of work, I agree 100% with Ron Fields when he says above : ” The sad things is that the Hoover Dam was one of the worst environmental disasters we have created ”
Nice article
On October 30, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Still cannot wait for this bridge to be finished so I can drive over it!
On October 30, 2009 at 5:07 pm
They must have some serious vulnerabilities in the dam to justify a crazy expense like this. It would be interesting to check out the engineering reports Having spent a lot of time at this dam and the Glen Canyon damn including an extensive internal tour of the glen canyon dam I can’t say they seemed particularly vulnerable. The Hoover damn must have a structural flaw that makes it vulnerable from the top. I am fairly certain when they were built they considered damn busting technology at the time. Especially the glen canyon damn that was built during the cold war. I wonder if they are more concerned with the lost electricity than danger posed by the rush of water if the dams were attacked.
On October 30, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Nice one….
On October 30, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Impressive. Wonder though, -a car bridge with such a wonder to behold will it not congest traffic? A similar bridge if built across the lower Niagara River to look up at Niagara Falls would cause a similar rubber-necking situation. At any rate, I’d love to visit this bridge someday.
On October 31, 2009 at 7:43 am
Quite a marvel this bridge is. Thanks for the update article.
On October 31, 2009 at 9:50 am
Very good documentation of the work. It’s an amazing structure.
On October 31, 2009 at 10:37 am
Wonderful article..
Great photos also…
This is called Extreme Engineering….
On November 1, 2009 at 3:41 am
wow that really is impressive…
On November 1, 2009 at 4:25 am
Quite impressive.
On November 1, 2009 at 4:34 am
it’s very great!
On November 1, 2009 at 10:21 am
The Best Dam Bridge in America! Practically in my back yard! Thanks for the great pictures and commentary!
On November 1, 2009 at 6:17 pm
When living in Kingman, AZ from 1988-1998, we traveled across the Hoover Dam many times on our way to Las Vegas to shop. Yes, shop as in the early days shopping in Kingman was very limited. We’d spend the day shopping and arrived back in Kingman about dusk. Each time my late husband would always comment that “this spot would make a good entrance for a bridge,” when we were on the AZ side and again the same statement on the NV side. Always wanting to see the long hoped for bridge being built. I can imagine his great joy if only he could drive across this bridge when it is completed! Congratulations to AZ and NV for bringing this to the residents of both states and the visitors from around the world! I have vertigo and can’t imagine anyone being able to work on this project. They are the brave souls we need to thank!
On November 2, 2009 at 3:08 am
love the pics – access to a project I would never have known about otherwise, thanks
On November 3, 2009 at 11:32 am
Pat Tillman’s death is “surrounded by more than a few conspiracy theories”?
Like what? He was killed by friendly fire from his own troops and the government tried to cover it up for quite a while before the truth came out. Hardly a “conspiracy theory”.
Apparently now anything that is embarrassing to the government is automatically labeled a “conspiracy theory” even though the facts are common knowledge and in the public domain.
Nice bridge though.
On November 4, 2009 at 3:05 am
These single-arch bridges are truly amazing feats of engineering, especially during the construction phase when the “arches” literally hang from the supports on the bank.
At 256m high in the centre, this bridge is certainly big and could well be the largest single-span arch bridge in the world when it is complete. Having said that, its construction is not unique and definitely not a world first – a very similar bridge was built over the Bloukrans river in South Africa, only slightly lower at 216m. What made that feat even more impressive at the time was that it was completed 25 years ago! Check it out at :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloukrans_Bridge
Bloukrans Bridge also operates a well-known bungy-jump operation, which was until recently the world’s highest. (For you adrenalin-junkies, the highest jump – for the moment, anyway – is at the Macau Tower in China). Can’t wait to see the bungy operation on this one !
Check out Bloukrans Bridge on Google Earth at coordinates S33.967269, E23.645172, with lots of YouTube links.
On November 4, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Amazing what the gambling lobby can pull off. What else can justify such an expenditure for such an obscure section of road? Now the public can get to the tables faster and leave their money with the casinos. Progress!!!
On November 4, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Cool,does this mean we can avoid the three hour,911,shakedown on the dam? hope so.how about some jobs? by the way,Shaggy says:”Zoinks”not yikes or whatever.
they should let us Nevadans throw terrorists off,after a few there are bound to be fewer problems,and hopefully fewer “checkpoints”
On November 9, 2009 at 8:13 am
I was at the Dam durning some of this construction, you can not believe the hight and danger of this projects until you see it. Simply stunning.
On November 27, 2009 at 7:08 pm
me and my wife drove through there a couple years ago. they had just finished the buttrices, and were starting the cable span. i was in total awe. it was a scary sight just to look up at the span from the dam. however a great idea for traffic, i dont think ill be taking my fatass across that bridge. that thing is way to high for me.
On December 13, 2009 at 12:30 pm
A necessary project to help protect the dam from terrorist attacks,which if successful would shut down the power the dam produces to power ariz,nev,calif.The ten year drought this area of the country is going thru could if it continues could itself shut down the dams ability to produce power if the water level continues to drop,the water level in lake meade is down 130 feet approximately as of december 2009.Water conservation in this region is not practiced or even encouraged ?Las Vegas gets 90 percent of their water from Lake Meade but does little to conserve it?This area year to date dec 12 09 has had less than 5 inches of rainfall! If the drought continues estimates are lake meade could go dry in 10 years,largest manmade lake in the US! The hotels in Las Vegas with their many swimming pools,fountains,golf courses,water parks,etc could help enormously if they would cut back on the water they waste on a daily basis.Also the residents of Vegas with their lush green lawns an many swimming pools could help too,not to leave out ariz an calif residents,they to waste a lot of water.A pipeline to northern Nevada has already been discussed to tap underground water wells and send the water to Vegas,the to start this billion dollar project would be the water level in lake meade dropping another 30 to 50 feet approx to below the lakes intake towers which suck water from the lake an supply it to Vegas,this could happen if the drought continues another 3 years.Which also will reduce Hoover Dams ability to generate electricity to the surrounding states.Irrigation water to calif has already been cut back due to water shortage in the colorado river flowing thru Hoover Dam, cutting back on produce raised in calif an mexico.A very serious situation that no one has reacted to .Parts of calif where they are over pumping groundwater the ground has actually sunken.Water wells, the static levels in different areas has dropped or dried up entirely due to lack of rainfall to replenish aquifers an water deposits in the ground.Some people on private wells even fill their giant swimming pools from their wells with no concern for their neighbors who are running low or out of water on their wells?I f you live in the southwest,ariz, nev ,calif, its common to see people hauling water in their trucks or trailers to where they live,or have water delivered to your home 2000gallons for75 to 100dollars each load,probably hard to imagine if you live back east or wherever where you get more rain in a week than we get all year! Do i sound jealous?No just stating hard facts.Enjoy your water just do not waste it.Wow did not realize how involved i got here.Got to go to work now so i can afford another load of water,or drill another well deeper.
On December 27, 2009 at 3:28 am
I drove through there just last Wed (Dec 23rd) and it was amazing to see the progress from when I saw it last March when going through there and the summer before that. My question is, why was US 93 originally routed OVER the Hoover Dam? Couldn’t they have built the dam and a route over it, but have the main Highway down river over a bridge or a bridge further up over a small area of Lake Mead? …Jill from Phoenix
On January 2, 2010 at 12:31 am
your stupid send to friend thing says “give a address” which I already did , but it wont accept it. The system is for shit.
On January 18, 2010 at 11:07 am
I receantly retired after over 41 years as a crane operator, Local 18, I was involved with the biggest ODOT project ever awarded in Ohio, Veterens Glass City Skyway. But I have to say the Hoover Dam bypass Is unbelievable. I will be sending the like to all of my friends in the trade. Hope to drive across it some time. Please work safe my Union Brothers
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