One of America’s most iconic landmarks; the Hoover dam bridge is located on the border of Nevada in Boulder city where the bridge is connected to border Arizona in Black Canyon city. The bridge stands above the Colorado River allowing a person to stand in two states at once. This bridge is 1,900 feet long (579 metres) known as the longest concrete arch bridge in America and also the second highest bridge in America standing at 890 feet (271 metres). This concrete bridge took 5 years to build; construction started in 2005 and was completed by 2010 officially opening in October 2010. The concrete arch was built to support and carry the weight of the bridge which was one of the hardest parts in the building process. It is also known as the ‘Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, the bridge is named after the governor of Nevada from 1971-1979 and an US army who was killed in Afghanistan (he was also a footballer in prior to becoming a US army).
PHOTO CREDIT: Federal Highway Administration
For the Hoover dam project they gathered top construction workers from all around the globe, the Hover Support team was led by a few of the greatest architecture and engineering companies, they were; HDR Inc. (specialised in architecture, engineering and consulting), T.Y. Lin International (multi-disciplinary infrastructure services firm) and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (technical professional services firm). The actual bridge was built by Obayashi Corporation, PSM Corporation USA and for the roadway installation a team of Frehner Construction Company was in charge.
PHOTO CREDIT: Federal Highway Administration
The main obstacle was the extreme weather condition that the workers faced during the construction of the bridge; their progress highly depended on the weather. The temperature was extremely hot which not only affected the workers but the concrete as well, managing to keep the concrete in a suitable consistency to pour was impossible. It was reported that the bridge used around 30,000 cubic yards of concrete which was a lot more than estimated, this was due to the huge amount of concrete that had gone to waste. An article right after the bridge was built stated a shocking fact that the quantity of concrete used to build the bridge is going to be enough to build 3000 miles of road which is a full-sized highway from one end of the States to the other. Without the advanced machineries, the concrete would have taken over the years to cool and form a desirable shape, but even if it was left to dry in the natural climate the concrete would be exposed to the possibility of cracking and breaking. To speed up the process, an engineering team designed a mammoth refrigeration machine. It wasn’t only the case where the temperature got very hot; it was also the trouble with the wind. On September 15th 2016, the wind gust of up to 100 miles per hour resulted in a disastrous collapse of the cableway system. Due to this unfortunate incident they had to stop the construction until further notice. They began the work again in October 2006 with a bigger workforce. The weather was still an ongoing issue during the later construction but there was no control over this matter. The workers were constantly behind schedule due to the problems that arose with the climate, the height (it was 1,500 foot above the Colorado River) and the material, the location of the Hoover Dam bridge has always known to be a difficult space for any construction because when the actual Dam was built in 1931 there were hazards after hazards in the process of the Dam construction which also led to dispute between the workers; after the completion of the bridge the chief engineer was found badmouthing his team/workers in the local press. The Dam took 5 years to build from 1931-1936.
PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Stark, July 2009
PHOTO CREDIT: David Wallace/Arizona Republic, via Associated Press
The reason behind the Hoover Dam bridge project was that the two highways nearby were becoming less capable of handling the amount of traffic it held every day. The highways were estimated to have 14,000 vehicles running on the road everyday which is more than double the value of its prediction when firstly built. The Hoover Dam Bridge was seen as the best solution for that problem and also chances of eliminating other recurring issues. The bridge is not just only for vehicles, the bridge also has a pedestrian walkway which is completely safe to cross it while exploring the stunning sight from above. There are also a few other little things that visitors love to explore on that bridge such as; a plaque made of stone marking the two state lines (Arizona and Nevada),it is also an appreciation symbol and is seen as one of the seven wonders in the history of civil engineering in the United States. Another thing that visitors may come across is the golden art décor door which has all the names of the workers involved in the Hoover Dam project. The people in their vehicles and motorcyclists don’t actually get the nice view of the river or the landscape because of tall concrete barriers that are placed on the sides to completely block off the view; the reason being is that the architect who designed the bridge wanted to make sure that the drivers nor the riders were not distracted by the view which was seen as a high threat in the design process. After 9 years of opening the bridge, every year there is an increase in popularity and is a well-known tourist destination.
PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Stark, July 2009
References:
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DesertUSA (no date) The Hoover Dam Bridge. Available at: https://www.desertusa.com/desert-activity/hoover-dam-bridge.html (Accessed: 09/08/19).
Pugh, J. (2013) FIVE THINGS NOT TO MISS EXPLORING THE HOOVER DAM WALKWAY. Available at: https://www.bestofvegas.com/articles/five-things-not-to-miss-exploring-the-hoover-dam-walkway/?fbclid=IwAR1YwOZ_5JZm3HkJH1m7kwTe3rRUCoSKg2uVhNG7uF_Rnxjw0Lwr3sP96PQ (Accessed: 09/08/19).
Docwymer. (2012/2015) The Pedestrian Walkway On The New Hoover Dam Bridge. Available at: https://bestlasvegasdetours.com/tours-from-las-vegas/hoover-dam-bridge-pedestrian-walkway/?fbclid=IwAR3QbCH-NEZfFC4aGEg1n4eC9eKFse9BDS_K2vNtLTi3QnkTZ6KqMDm46xc (Accessed: 09/08/19).
Courtesy of Federal Highway Administration. (2010) Hoover Damn bypass bridge. Available at: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130594785&t=1565384764952 (Accessed/downloaded: 09/08/19).
Wallace, D. (2010) Arizona Republic. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/us/23bridge.html (Accessed/downloaded: 09/08/19).
Strak, Alan. (2009) Hoover Dam bypass bridge construction. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/squeaks2569/3700354964/in/photostream/ (Accessed/downloaded: 09/08/10).
HSTE Channel (2017) The World’s Biggest Arch Bridge – Hoover Dam Bridge. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4wlTp6X80w(Accessed: 09/08/19).
