Hoover Dam

While in Las Vegas we took a day trip to Hoover Dam and Lake Meade. Hoover Dam is only about 30 miles away and although we had been there before we wanted to see the Hoover Dam Bypass Project that is under construction.

This is one of those projects that was pushed to the forefront after the events of 9-11. In 1995 , due to the traffic congestion caused by the inadequacy of the existing highway across the dam the bypass project had been designated as high priority. However, in the wake of 9-11 the project was started as soon as possible when someone realized just how vulnerable Hoover Dam would be to a terrorist attack.

The Colorado River Bridge is the central portion of the Hoover Dam Bypass Project. Construction on the nearly 2,000 foot long bridge began in late January 2005 and the completion of the entire Hoover Dam Bypass Project is expected in June 2010. When completed, this bridge will span the Black Canyon connecting the Arizona and Nevada approach highways nearly 900-feet above the Colorado River.

Looking at the starts of the bridge, as they project out over the Colorado River, I cannot help but wonder how the engineers will make this bridge meet in the middle.
This will be at the top of our list of things to see when it is completed. Then I'll have to get up the nerve to drive across it....