In the immediate post-World War II period, massive construction projects were almost the norm in the United States, the most widely evident of which was the Interstate Highway system. But the Interstates have now been around for so long that they have become a part of what is referred to as "our crumbling infrastructure," and projects of that scale and scope seem much fewer and much less frequent.
Which is why we are fascinated by the Hoover Dam Bypass Project, a huge undertaking to re-route and modernize Highway 93 where it crosses the Colorado River at the border between Nevada and Arizona.
The main route between Las Vegas and Phoenix, Highway 93 has long been a winding two-lane road through the region, limited by the fact that it passes literally atop the Hoover Dam, built in the 1930s. Highway 93 is exceptionally scenic, and as a result it is also a popular tourist road in addition to being the main thoroughfare that it is.
We have driven across the top of the Hoover Dam several times through the years, but the next time we are in the area we will likely drive over the new bypass, a spectacular 1900-foot long concrete arch bridge nearing completion some 900 feet above the river, and 1500 feet south of the dam. A modern, multilane highway 93 will follow much straighter approaches to this new bridge, unclogging the Hoover Dam bottleneck.
In the photo above you can see the bridge taking shape while the old Highway 93 winds below. You can also see the cable-strung gondola cranes used in the construction and get a sense of the sheer size of this project.
There is a web site devoted solely to this project, http://www.hooverdambypass.org/ , and it includes web cam shots of the project as it progresses.
Don’t worry, you will still be able to drive across the Hoover Dam if you wish, the old road will remain open for this popular tourist attraction. But through traffic and truck traffic will soon travel via the new bypass.
The total construction budget is $240 million dollars, and remarkably, that budget was developed in 2001 and the project is on track to be completed later this year without exceeding that original budget.
Which is why we are fascinated by the Hoover Dam Bypass Project, a huge undertaking to re-route and modernize Highway 93 where it crosses the Colorado River at the border between Nevada and Arizona.
The main route between Las Vegas and Phoenix, Highway 93 has long been a winding two-lane road through the region, limited by the fact that it passes literally atop the Hoover Dam, built in the 1930s. Highway 93 is exceptionally scenic, and as a result it is also a popular tourist road in addition to being the main thoroughfare that it is.
We have driven across the top of the Hoover Dam several times through the years, but the next time we are in the area we will likely drive over the new bypass, a spectacular 1900-foot long concrete arch bridge nearing completion some 900 feet above the river, and 1500 feet south of the dam. A modern, multilane highway 93 will follow much straighter approaches to this new bridge, unclogging the Hoover Dam bottleneck.
In the photo above you can see the bridge taking shape while the old Highway 93 winds below. You can also see the cable-strung gondola cranes used in the construction and get a sense of the sheer size of this project.
There is a web site devoted solely to this project, http://www.hooverdambypass.org/ , and it includes web cam shots of the project as it progresses.
Don’t worry, you will still be able to drive across the Hoover Dam if you wish, the old road will remain open for this popular tourist attraction. But through traffic and truck traffic will soon travel via the new bypass.
The total construction budget is $240 million dollars, and remarkably, that budget was developed in 2001 and the project is on track to be completed later this year without exceeding that original budget.
