Hoover Dam Bridge

Constructed over a long time span of a whopping 5 years, the Hoover Dam bridge is an epitome of brilliant engineering. Constructed using three and one-quarter million cubic yards of concrete, the bridge is supported by a curved arch. Connecting the US states of Nevada and Arizona, this bridge makes for a faster route for commuting across the Colorado river. The bridge is open to vehicular traffic and features a sidewalk that is used by the pedestrians and is dotted with an interactive plaza and a parking space.During its construction period, the bridge over Hoover Dam was known as the Hoover Dam Bypass Project. However, in the later period, it was renamed as the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge and dedicated to Mike O’Callaghan, an ex-governor of Nevada and Patrick Daniel Tillman, a Arizona-based professional footballer. The Hoover Dam bridge not only alleviates many traffic issues related to US 93 route that ran over the dam, but also offers spectacular panoramic views of the postcard-perfect dam and makes for a sought-after tourist hotspot.

Back in 1935, the American Association of State Highway Officials summoned the extension of U.S. Route 93 and a crossing on the Hoover Dam, which was newly stationed over the Colorado River at that time. The population of Clark County was comparatively thinner at that time, which meant less traffic on the crossing. However, traffic on US 93 surged eventually and led to congestion on the dam.In 1989, the "Colorado River Bridge Project" was coined and this was followed by further documentation and research on the feasibility of the project. In July 2001, the design work for the project finally began by the Hoover Support team, under the leadership of HDR, Inc. The construction work of the Hoover Dam bridge started in the year 2005, but due to delays due to equipment mishap and other contractual and bureaucratic reasons the bridge was inaugurated in October 2010, on the day of the 75th anniversary of Hoover Dam.

The construction contract for the Hoover Dam arch bridge was awarded in the year 2004. The bypass and the bridge were built by a conglomeration of a number of contractors and government agencies. In May 2006, a permit-related issue surfaced between the subcontractor Casino Ready Mix and Clark County, which resulted in a delay of 4 months. In September 2006, extreme winds resulted in a cableway malfunction, causing a further delay of 2 years. By November 2008, the approach spans with 7 pairs of concrete columns were completed. By December 2009, all eight vertical piers had been capped on the arch. On 14 October 2010, the Hoover Dam bridge was officially completed and an opening party was thrown on 16 October. On 18 October, the bridge was opened to pedestrians and bicycles and on 19 October, it was opened to vehicular traffic.