On July 31, the Federal Highway Administration conducted a media briefing and tour at the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge over the Colorado River. At the time of the tour, the 1,060-foot arch providing support for the bridge was about 6 feet shy of being complete; since then, the arch connection has been made.

Construction on the nearly 2,000 foot long bridge – officially the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge – began in January 2005. Completion of the entire Hoover Dam Bypass Project is expected in late 2010. When complete, this signature bridge will span the Black Canyon south of Hoover Dam, connecting the Arizona and Nevada highway approaches that are now under construction. The bridge is nearly 900 feet above the Colorado River. When the arch was completed at the end of August, the supporting cables and towers were removed allowing the arch to be fully self-supporting.

The photos below, taken by ADOT’s Tim Tait, provide a rare look at the bridge from the future roadway level, and from the observation deck adjacent to Hoover Dam.

The Hoover Dam Bypass project is a collaborative effort of the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Western Area Power Authority and the National Park Service. For more information on the project, including a Web cam, visit www.hooverdambypass.org.