Hoover bypass span nears completion

During a media tour on Thursday, the four-lane Hoover Dam bypass bridge was supporting vehicles.

Albeit construction vehicles.

Trucks dot the 1,900-foot-long span as crews finish up minor work such as tying stretches of road into the bridge and completing a pedestrian walkway that leads to an observation sidewalk.

The $240 million project will open to traffic in early November, providing relief to motorists who travel across Hoover Dam with its delays from switchbacks and security stops.

On Thursday, tourists admiring the dam were equally impressed with the massive bridge, which owns the longest concrete arch, 1,060 feet, in the Western Hemisphere.

Not only will the bridge provide a safer route between Arizona and Nevada, but it will offer a bird's-eye view of the face of Hoover Dam. The deck of the span is 277 feet higher than the dam.

The public will be able to see for themselves on Oct. 16, which has been labeled Bridging America Day, when the bridge will be open to pedestrian traffic only.

For more information about the festivities, log on to celebrate hooverbridge.com.