When Captain Cavedweller and I were in Las Vegas, we rented a car one day and drove down to see Hoover Dam.
It was impressive, to say the least.
We started by hiking up 987 steps to walk out on the new bridge.
Construction of the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Colorado River Bridge) began in late January 2005 and traffic began using the Hoover Dam Bypass on October 19, 2010. This signature arch bridge spans the Black Canyon, connecting the Arizona and Nevada Approach highways almost 900-feet above the Colorado River on the nearly 2,000 foot long bridge.
The bridge is named for Mike O’Callaghan, Governor of Nevada from 1971-1979 and Pat Tillman, a football player who left his career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the US Army and was later killed in Aghanistan.
You can walk out on the bridge and get an amazing view of Hoover Dam, although the end is closed and you are unable to walk out on the Arizona side. This was fine with me since walking half-way across the bridge had me plastered against the concrete back wall, terrorized to look down or get too close to the railing.
The bridge was a major component in the Hoover Dam Bypass Project which rerouted US 93 from its previous routing along the top of Hoover Dam, removing several nasty turns and blind curves from the route. Not only does the bridge make the trip safer, it also saves time.
Despite my quaking knees, I did step close enough to the rail to snap a few photos. The view from up there, in the middle of the bridge was spectacular.
After peeling me off the wall and dragging me back down the steps, CC and I drove around the entire dam. There is a really nice visitor center and you can get out and walk around several viewing areas.
If you are ever close to Hoover Dam, I highly recommend taking the time to stop and check it out.
She Who Does Not Like Heights
