US 93 Hoover Dam Bypass

[roadfro]

The US 93 Hoover Dam Bypass bridge is about to reach a major milestone. The gap between the arches, which will support the bridge deck and viewing walkway, is about to be closed.  See this article/video from Las Vegas' KVBC-TV 3 traffic reporter Tom Hawley.

Project website: http://www.hooverdambypass.org

[golden eagle]

I saw this when I was at Hoover Dam last year. I didn't know it was going to be for U.S. 93, though.

[rawmustard]

I saw this when I was at Hoover Dam last year. I didn't know it was going to be for U.S. 93, though.

And why would you think they'd have kept US 93 on the dam? The whole idea of the bridge is to keep through traffic moving (and thus safer for those who actually get off to visit the dam), so of course US 93 will be moved to it.

[golden eagle]

That was my first time ever going to Hoover Dam and I guess it never occurred to me to find out exactly what it was being built for. It does make sense, though, given all the traffic that passes through the area on a daily basis.

[Terry Shea]

That was my first time ever going to Hoover Dam and I guess it never occurred to me to find out exactly what it was being built for. It does make sense, though, given all the traffic that passes through the area on a daily basis.

Actually they just want more security for the dam itself.  A terrorist attack on the dam would be devastating!  They can't keep stopping cars and causing traffic jams on a 2 lane road.  Having a freeway for thru traffic and a short 2-lane "service road" to the dam itself will cause a lot less headaches and make security much easier.

[mgk920]

That was my first time ever going to Hoover Dam and I guess it never occurred to me to find out exactly what it was being built for. It does make sense, though, given all the traffic that passes through the area on a daily basis.

Actually they just want more security for the dam itself.  A terrorist attack on the dam would be devastating!  They can't keep stopping cars and causing traffic jams on a 2 lane road.  Having a freeway for thru traffic and a short 2-lane "service road" to the dam itself will cause a lot less headaches and make security much easier.

This bypass was planned long before 2001.

Mike

[Terry Shea]

That was my first time ever going to Hoover Dam and I guess it never occurred to me to find out exactly what it was being built for. It does make sense, though, given all the traffic that passes through the area on a daily basis.

Actually they just want more security for the dam itself.  A terrorist attack on the dam would be devastating!  They can't keep stopping cars and causing traffic jams on a 2 lane road.  Having a freeway for thru traffic and a short 2-lane "service road" to the dam itself will cause a lot less headaches and make security much easier.

This bypass was planned long before 2001.

Mike

Terrorism and security issues have been around since long before 2001.  I remember talk of dam security being an issue during the cold war in the '60's and '70's.  The incidents of Sept. 11 may have helped speed up the process though, and I don't remember them stopping cars along the route before then.

[roadfro]

Security over the dam was not a major public concern prior to 2001.  If it was, it was never really discussed at length as I was growing up in Vegas.  Security checkpoints were not in place on US 93 until they reopened the highway over the dam after September 11th.

The Hoover Dam Bypass project had been talked about since at least the mid 1990s (if not earlier).  US 93 in this area became part of the CANAMEX Corridor (High Priority Corridor 26) in 1995.  Being designated high-priority/trade corridor, as well as the only direct route between Las Vegas and Phoenix, the route has needed improvement for some time. Prior to the mandatory truck detour following 9/11, probably about 20% of the traffic across the dam was big rigs.  Combining that with the winding, sight-limited 2-lane approaches to the dam and all the pedestrian/tourist traffic on the dam itself, US 93 was a major bottleneck.  All this was the major impetus for planning the bypass in the first place, and funding opportunities through the TEA-21 Legislation is probably what really started speeding up the planning process.

[Scott5114]

It's a good thing the dam bridge is getting built! Now we need to get that dam bypass open so we won't have so many dam security concerns!

[Alps]

The jokes have been moved to Off-Topic.  Please click the below link to keep having fun.  This thread is now SERIOUS.   

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=1633.0

[SSOWorld]

I just noticed that the 2010 RM Road Atlas actually has this marked as a completed other multilane highway.  (albiet with the yellow-green shading indicating construction) and the soon-to-be-old road is marked with the grey line (indicating a minor highway)

Seems they're pretty confident.

[roadfro]

I just noticed that the 2010 RM Road Atlas actually has this marked as a completed other multilane highway.  (albiet with the yellow-green shading indicating construction) and the soon-to-be-old road is marked with the grey line (indicating a minor highway)

Seems they're pretty confident.

The projected opening date for the bypass is Fall 2010. In the latest project newsletter, they estimate about 11 months of work following removal of the cable stay system that supported the arch construction. The cable system was removed by the end of September, so the projected opening should equate to late August 2010 barring any unforseen difficulties.

Sounds to me that Rand McNally jumped the gun a bit, cause it seems like the bypass won't really be open until it's about time to publish the next version of the map... 

[roadfro]

Update: According to the latest project newsletter on www.hooverdambypass.org, the majority of the bypass construction should be complete by September 2010. Traffic should be allowed on the bridge/bypass by November.

The pedestrian parking area, interpretive plaza, and trail to the viewing sidewalk along the bridge won't be finished until after most major construction is finished...possibly not until after the bypass and bridge are open to traffic.

[rawmustard]

There's going to be a grand opening event October 16. It's an event I sort of want to attend if I can swing the time off and expenses. If I can't go to this, then I want to get over there at some point after the bridge opens to traffic, possibly in November. If plans come to fruition, I'll keep you posted.

[myosh_tino]

There's going to be a grand opening event October 16. It's an event I sort of want to attend if I can swing the time off and expenses. If I can't go to this, then I want to get over there at some point after the bridge opens to traffic, possibly in November. If plans come to fruition, I'll keep you posted.

I'm headed to Las Vegas in November.  Seeing and driving on the new bridge is definitely on my do-to list.

[kurumi]

I have a business trip in LV this week and possibly a couple hours to drive out to the bridge site in the daytime. Can anyone recommend good parking/vantage points for taking photos of the bridge?

[roadfro]

You can get some closeup shots underneath the bridge along the switchbacks on the Nevada side. Other than that, the best vantage point to view the whole bridge will probably be from Hoover Dam itself. Parking is available in the visitor center garage ($7) on the Nevada side or along some of the switchbacks just above the dam on the Arizona side (free).

[kurumi]

I'll have more photos on my Flickr page; but for now, here's a new Nevada route number for the old US 93 when the bypass opens. I haven't seen anything else about NV 172 online. Photo is taken southbound on the Nevada side.

[roadfro]

I'm *very* confused as to why that photo appears to show only one lane in the southbound direction... I know that just north of the bypass project, the road is narrower, but I thought the entire bypass roadways were supposed to be two lanes each way.

I'll have more photos on my Flickr page; but for now, here's a new Nevada route number for the old US 93 when the bypass opens. I haven't seen anything else about NV 172 online. Photo is taken southbound on the Nevada side.

Just last night, I removed a link to SR 172 that somebody had added to a Wikipedia page...

I hadn't found anything else about SR 172 online either. The NDOT state highway logs for the last several years had shown NDOT maintenance for US 93 beginning 1.612 miles west of the AZ state line, so I just assumed the road down to the dam had been given to BLM or National Park Service to control.

[roadfro]

According to the Vegas area newspapers, the Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman memorial bridge will be dedicated next week. Traffic could be on the bypass by the end of October.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/bridge-rises-under-a-shadow-104659159.html
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/oct/07/hoover-dam-bridge-dedication-planned-next-week/

[KEK Inc.]

NV-172 should be a 3dus... 

[kurumi]

I'm *very* confused as to why that photo appears to show only one lane in the southbound direction... I know that just north of the bypass project, the road is narrower, but I thought the entire bypass roadways were supposed to be two lanes each way.

The southbound road widens to two lanes shortly after the exit. The FHWA Record of Decision (1.4 MB pdf) shows the project's northern (western) start basically at this interchange. (I walked to the site from a parking lot at the Hacienda Hotel, which is shown outside the project limits.)

[Scott5114]

NV-172 should be a 3dus... 

It's waaaaaaaay too short.

[KEK Inc.]

NV-172 should be a 3dus... 

It's waaaaaaaay too short.

It still crosses state borders.  It'd be temporary, since I-11 could have the old US-93 run the Hoover Dam Route.

[cu2010]

According to one of the articles posted in the thread, the current US93 will no longer be a through route once the new bypass opens, with the new NV172 crossing the dam and dead-ending.

But, yes, five miles is way too short for a 3dus. NV172 is fine.