The Incredible Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Under Construction
Announced in 2004, the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge has been five years under construction. Due to be completed in 2010, the bridge has slowly been taking shape. Here, with some amazing photographs is a record of this incredible bridge as it nears completion.
The people of Arizona and Nevada are patient folk. Since 1935 they have seen their local roads slowly but surely become more and more congested, most certainly at one particular point. The Hoover Dam. Since its inception it has been an important connection between the two states in terms of commerce and simply for the making the journey between the two considerably quicker. Let’s start with a money shot – even though you ain’t seen nothing yet.
A 2008 shots gives the imagination something to work on. As the Hoover Dam became more and more popular with tourists the local roads began to get more congested than people could really put up with. Their solution? Harking back to the huddled masses days when America really was considered to be the land where everything was super-sized (and not just the fast food) the good citizens of Arizona and Nevada decided to build a bridge. Not just any old bridge though, this one would have the longest concrete arch in the US. The arch would ultimately be finished in August 2000 – and you can see it in its entirety here.
In 2007, the tower structures, these known as approach spans, are beginning to take shape. It is known, in the briefest of terms as the Hoover Dam bypass and this much is true. There will be seven approach spans all in all, two on the Arizona side and five on the Nevada side. The bridge is enormous, but its proximity to the dam is less than half a kilometer. The longer, more proper and formal name is the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. Perhaps it is already known as The Mike and Pat locally. O’Callaghan was the Governor of Nevada in the nineteen seventies as well as a veteran of the Korean War. Tillman is by far the more controversial choice. He gave up a millionaire lifestyle and superstar footballer status to serve in the US Army in Afghanistan where he was killed in 2004. His death has been subject to military investigations and more than the occasional conspiracy theory.
Back to 2005 and the bridge is in its infancy. It has a way to go, even yet, in its construction, even though the most recent pictures see the span almost conquered by one of the most amazing engineering feats of our times. It will cost a pretty penny, of course; estimates have it at upwards of two hundred and fifty million dollars. Patience, however. Try and resist the urge to scroll down and take in the images, if you… too late.
It won’t exactly be a slim bridge, either. It and the other new sections of Highway 93 will have two lanes going each way over its five hundred and seventy five meter span. It may not be an idea to look down either if you suffer from vertigo. The road itself will be a dizzying two hundred and fifty six meters above the Arizona River. Although people will still be able to park and walk across it (if they dare) drivers will not be able to see the Hoover Dam. It is too close and too below to be seen by them. The project suffered a serious setback in 2006 when four cranes collapsed. This caused a massive two year delay while the project recovered. It is now back on track and the next in this series of articles can be found here.
At night, in 2008, the construction work seems like some vast drawbridge in to some dark post apocalyptic fortress. Behind it, the Hoover Dam. Iconic as the dam is, the bridge itself will become an important route between two equally iconic American cities, Phoenix in Arizona and Las Vegas in Nevada. Since the Dam’s completion both cities have seen their population sky rise (perhaps the bridge is a good metaphor for the burgeoning number of their citizens).
By April of 2009 the bridge begins to look like a bridge – not to state the obvious. Suddenly, in the space of months a real shape begins to emerge. It looks as if plans are on schedule for the bridge to serve as the successor to the old road. Highway 93, which was as good as highways got back in 1935 is simply too old and, well, curvy to be adequate in this day and age for twenty first century traffic. Plus of course, it only has two lanes (that is counting both directions).
A closer look at the arches gives the onlooker a greater impression of the sheer scale of the project. Take a look at the moveable platforms where brave people perform their duties each day. A certain day in the September of 2001 made things worse for those who rely on the original road across the dam as a transport link. After the air attacks on the American mainland, no trucks have been allowed over the dam for fear they could be packed with high explosive. Instead the trucks have been sent south to a crossing near Laughlin (on the Nevada side). More disruptions, albeit for a very good security reasons. When you figure that there will be almost twenty thousand cars and trucks using the new bridge every day the enormous costs – and the security concerns – begin to make a lot of sense.
Let us take to the air to see the bridge from a real vantage point and ponder the simply awesome highlights of the project. To begin with it will eventually take the removal and embankment of over three and a half million cubic yards of earth. The bridge itself will be made from two hundred and forty three million tons of concrete. The steel used to reinforce the concrete would, if put on a set of scales, weigh sixteen million pounds (some set of scales!). Plus it has brought many, many jobs in to the area, with over twelve hundred people being involved in its construction.
June 9, 2009 and the arch edges even closer to completion. The arch is more than fifty percent complete and it is hoped that the two sides will meet in the Fall of this year. Below, even more recent on June 18. What kind of party will be held on the day the two parts of the arch meet is anyone’s guess, but it is likely to be the biggest since the end of Prohibition. It can only be hoped that none of the revellers gets too tipsy and ends in the Arizona River.
It is hoped that the bridge will be complete some time in 2010. When it is complete it will look like something out of the space age (oh, shucks, yes, that’s our era after all). The impression below, with no disrespect to the artist (but one suspects he once worked for Gerry Anderson), gives away little of the grandeur and majesty that the final, finished bridge will possess in (millions of) tons.
The next in this series of articles, which covers July – October 2009 – when the arch becomes free standing can be found HERE.
Liked it
57 Responses to “The Incredible Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Under Construction”
On June 23, 2009 at 3:32 am
Great behemoth construction. Thanks for sharing.
On June 23, 2009 at 4:05 am
Awesome!
On June 23, 2009 at 4:23 am
Ultra-cool article! Stunning share, RJ.
On June 23, 2009 at 8:29 am
No way! That much concrete? That’s probably the same amount that exists in an entire South American country!
What a monster. The pictures are impressive.
On June 23, 2009 at 9:05 am
Can’t wait to drive over this sucker!
On June 23, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Every image is amazing except the last one! Much more interesting when it\’s functionally useless (i.e. the sides aren\’t connected yet).
On June 23, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Will I ever get there?
On June 23, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I would NOT want to drive across that bridge! It would scare the bejeezus outta me!!!! What happens if it like rusts and breaks? It’s so high up!
On June 23, 2009 at 7:02 pm
I was just there last week, I prefer the as-is look than the proposed finished look (looks too \”normal\” to me), I starred at it more than the dam actually. It\’s a bypass bridge for commercial vehicles only as commercial vehicles aren\’t allowed on the dam.
On June 23, 2009 at 7:43 pm
i have loved watching that bridge go up over the years! we always pass through for our phoenix to nevada trips and love seeing how it is coming along.
On June 23, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Excellent!!..this is wonderful and well presented article..LOV the stunning pics..I always enjoyed reading your magnificent work..Thanx bro
On June 23, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Astounding structure,,Excellent topic.
On June 24, 2009 at 12:46 am
I will just have to take a drive out there and see it in person. Amazing.
On June 24, 2009 at 1:29 am
Very cool!
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
On June 24, 2009 at 3:53 am
Great. I’ll have to drive over and see that.
On June 24, 2009 at 4:35 am
Bungee!!!!
On June 24, 2009 at 8:48 am
That is some pretty sweet construction.
At least its a dam, not a coal-burning thermal electric plant.
On June 24, 2009 at 12:56 pm
R.J.,
I ran out of compliments. You are truly an outstanding writer. Thanks,
Josh
On June 25, 2009 at 5:50 am
Suddenly the dam doesn’t look at all impressive.
On June 25, 2009 at 9:46 am
What a great article and pictures. This is definitely worth a read and will get bookmarked!
On June 25, 2009 at 9:54 am
Very the picture of appeal, good shock people, the magnificence very beautiful. Thanks!
On June 25, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Well done!
On June 25, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Cool pics.. I’m not attempting to drive over it because im afraid of heights…
On June 25, 2009 at 6:55 pm
The mass of earth and concrete you quoted includes the approaches, which on the Nevada side includes a few miles of roadway (and several bridges) down an incredibly rugged and impassable canyon. That may even turn out to be a greater feat of engineering than the bridge itself. By the way, it’s the Colorado River, not the Arizona River.
On June 25, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Great article, and some wonerful photos. Very informative and interesting. I hope I get to see it some day. Just beautiful.
On June 25, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Wow, that is a humongaus bridge. It looks scary.
On June 26, 2009 at 4:38 am
Ohhhh…!
Very good picture
On June 26, 2009 at 5:35 am
Breathtaking!
On June 26, 2009 at 4:36 pm
cool
On June 26, 2009 at 6:14 pm
wow…what a big structure
On June 27, 2009 at 5:31 am
Something magnificent, but also quite menacing about it. Great article and will definitely been returning to Arizona to see in up close.
On June 27, 2009 at 12:54 pm
This new bridge looks awesome. It is certainly a master piece of architectural design. It is hard yo understand just how much steel and concrete it takes to build a structure of this magnitude. Not to mention the number of people that it has employed.I am sure that it has strengthened the local economy greatly.
Please understand that I don\\\’t mean to mess on anyone\\\’s parade here. However, when I think of a bypass I am thinking that it takes you around the structure or city/town that you are trying to bypass, not right by it. What I see is another tourist view of the dam. In my opinion it is pointless to build a bridge that close to Hoover Dam when it is your intention is to bypass it. And just how much money has this new tourist view point cost the taxpayers anyway? Another point I certainly hope that they have installed platforms so that either cars can pull out of the way of traffic or sidewalks so that people can walk back across the bridge to take pictures of the Hoover Dam; otherwise I see some rubbernecking and a lot of potential rear end collisions on this bridge. If a new view of the Hoover Dam is what the were after perhaps they should have built a tram to travel the same path that the bridge takes and charge tourist to ride it. Therfore they would recover their cost of building it.
On June 27, 2009 at 7:08 pm
i think its hott, how its step by step pics, i wish i was there good work i hope u blow up off of it.. look at docs.
On June 27, 2009 at 7:08 pm
i think its hott, how its step by step pics, i wish i was there good work i hope u blow up off of it.. look at my docs.
On June 27, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Wow looks exciting
On June 28, 2009 at 10:20 am
This new bridge looks awesome. It is certainly a master piece of architectural design. It is hard yo understand just how much steel and concrete it takes to build a structure of this magnitude. Not to mention the number of people that it has employed.I am sure that it has strengthened the local economy greatly.
Please understand that I don’t mean to mess on anyone’s parade here. However, when I think of a bypass I am thinking that it takes you around the structure or city/town that you are trying to bypass, not right by it. What I see is another tourist view of the dam. In my opinion it is pointless to build a bridge that close to Hoover Dam when your intention is to bypass it. And just how much money has this new tourist view point cost the taxpayers anyway? I certainly hope that they have installed platforms so that cars can either pull out of the way of traffic, or placed sidewalks on the bridge, allowing people to walk across the bridge to take pictures of the Hoover Dam. Otherwise I see some rubbernecking and a lot of potential rear end collisions on this bridge. If a new view of the Hoover Dam is what they were after, perhaps they should have built a tram to travel the same path that the bridge takes and charge tourist to ride it. Therefore, they would recover their cost of building it.
On June 28, 2009 at 5:26 pm
woooow… incredible!
On June 30, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Oregon writer. The new design does have a viewing walkway and I believe the view from cars will not be much as it is higher than the dam JZ
On July 6, 2009 at 12:45 am
Hi JZ
Probably so, JZ but people will still try to look and that is where the problem comes in. Some people just don’t use their heads. Case at point I live in Oregon. The consumer here is not allowed to pump their own gasolene, thus we have gas attendants. Which is what I am doing, now for work. At our station we have one way in, and one way out. We even have signs posted at the end of the isle stating Exit Only. On a busy day someone will pull in going the wrong way. While I am dealing with the one customer two more will pull in the same way. When I tell them that they are going the wrong way. They get this stupid look on their face and point to the car in front of them. Their are those people that act like sheep they just follow.
On July 6, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I was able to drive by this over the weekend. I enjoyed it more than the dam…
On July 15, 2009 at 11:05 am
Great pictures, thanks for the updates. I just watched the Discovery show about the early stages of the bridge’s construction; it’s nice to see how much progress has been made since then.
Has there been any kind of hearing regarding the death of the work last December?
On July 21, 2009 at 10:31 am
If you’ve ever driven over the hoover dam, you know that it adds at least an hour to your drive time. The new bridge will keep commuters from having to drive all the way down the winding road leading to the damn, then slowly creeping along the bridge avoiding pedestrian tourists everywhere. When this project is complete, Vegas will be an hour closer to Phoenix… woo hoo!
On July 21, 2009 at 11:03 pm
The base jumpers will love this bridge.
i am betting that within 30 days of it opening someone does a base jump from it.
On July 22, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Great engineering accomplishment but a waste of tax payers money.
Bill
On July 24, 2009 at 5:50 pm
No, Bill, it’s one of the few valid uses of taxpayers’ money of late. I’ll miss the fun of driving over the dam, but not the snarl of traffic or excess of time, especially in 120 degree heat. Like it or not, millions of vehicles pass between LV and northwestern AZ and this bridge (something that’s been talking about constantly in my 51-year lifetime) is a very needed addition to transportation in the southwest.
On July 24, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Scary looking chit!
On July 24, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Never been there, not as an adult anyhow.. I cannot really comment on if its a waste of tax payers dollars, mostly since I am not an American.
On July 28, 2009 at 10:20 am
if folks get drunk during the celebration and fall into a river, it will have to be the Colorado River…
On July 28, 2009 at 7:07 pm
The way Lake Mead is lowering every year if it did fall you would not hit very deep water, not that you would survive to notice.
On July 28, 2009 at 11:08 pm
My wife and I visited Hoover Dam as this project was just beginning. I had no idea this was going to be such a huge undertaking. It certainly is a marvel of modern engineering. Looking forward to re-visiting it when it’s completed.
On August 6, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Uh…. “Arizona River”??? I think not. Drunken revelers will fall into the COLORADO (which used to be known as the GRAND River — hence the name “Grand Canyon” and the city of “Grand Junction, Colorado” — the name was changed to “Colorado River” to avoid confusion with the Rio Grande.
On August 17, 2009 at 9:14 am
HI OREGON WRITER: YOUR COMMENT ABOUT BUILDING A TRAM HAS MERIT. REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY SIGNS ARE PUT UP REGARDING NO ‘STOPPING’ ETC., PEOPLE WILL TRY TO STOP AND LOOK. EVEN IF THEY BUILD PULL-OFFS, THERE WON’T BE A TIME LIMIT. THEY CAN ONLY BUILD SO MANY THEREFORE ON A BUSY DAY, TEMPERS WILL FLARE. THAT HIGH IN THE AIR IS NO PLACE TO ENCOUNTER N ‘MR. SHORT FUSE.’ WHO IS PAYING FOR THIS BRIDGE AND HOW MUCH WILL THE FINAL BILL BE? VERY FEW PROJECTS OF THIS KIND EVER COME IN AT OR UNDER BID. COST OVER-RUNS MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR STATES ETC. TO PAY FOR SUCH THINGS AS THIS. DESPITE ALL, IT APPEARS TO BE A BEAUTIFUL EDIFICE.
On August 30, 2009 at 11:26 am
Great pictures and update, it must be very close now for the arch to be complete if not finished, any news how close it is? Keep up the good work…
On September 2, 2009 at 6:55 am
We have just seen the new bridge and to say it is impressive is an understatement. Wow. With a tailback coming from the Las Vegas side of 5 miles I think this bridge will be an enormous blessing to many people.
On September 8, 2009 at 11:38 am
Oregon Writer: It is not a waste of money, if anything it will boost the economy and the trucking industry as there are no semi trucks allowed to cross the Hoover Dam since 9/11, thus making them have to drive 4 hours out of their way to get into AZ. The bridge will also have a sidewalk for people who want to view the dam. It has also created many jobs and kept a lot of families afloat during this depleted economy, I know this because my husband is building on this bridge everyday! It is supporting our family of us and our 3 children! I am very proud!
On October 8, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Just visited the site to see the dam Knew nothing about the bridge being built. Awesome !! Yes, and very much needed. That drive over the dam is so slow and tedious. We elected to drive home another way even though it added hours to our trip. I can’t even imagine how much it will relieve the tedium of the locals as well as cross country travelers. Can’t wait to go back when it is finished to enjoy the view of the dam – and get to Vegas quicker!
On October 28, 2009 at 10:55 am
All I can say is WOW!!!!!!! I can’t wait to get out to Las Vegas again to roll some dice, play cards, hit the pool, & visit the Dam! WOOOHOOO!
Post Comment