Isn’t that a beautiful sight??  The Hoover Dam bridge is a piece of true architecture masterpiece and history that really does compliment the grandeur of the mighty Dam itself.

Coming in at the original $240 million budget, it sits a mere 1,500 feet down river from the Hoover Dam.  The bridge deck come in at 1,900 feet long! Making this the longest concrete arch span in North America. To be fair, the real name of the bridge is the Mike O’ Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. But hey, everyone just calls it the Hoover Dam Bridge!

It’s All About The Amazing View!
And what a view it is.  Crossing the bridge by vehicle is a straight shot with absolutely NO view of the Dam. However, from the Nevada side, there is a plaza that gives a wonderful history of the the construction, the technology used and its relation to the Dam. For the view, there is a walkway across the bridge on the Dam side. Only accessible from the Nevada side

Give your guests about 30 minutes to complete the walk up to the plaza, out to the bridge and to return to the parking lot. You may have to drop at the plaza and have the bus return later due to crowded parking.

The bridge spans Black Canyon. Actually it is also in the neck of the canyon and that is what a Tour Director needs to remember. Winds coming through the canyon can easily hit 20-40 miles an hour. T he Nevada Department of Transportation is asking that all high profile vehicles use the inside left travel lane.

Wind Advisory Warning System
With this understanding, they developed a early warning system, giving drivers advance opportunity to take the old detour around the dam through Laughlin, Nevada. .

WIND WARNING– During wind warnings( 50 mile-per-hour-plus wind gusts or sustained winds of more than 40 miles per hour ) , high-profile vehicles such as commercial trucks, RVs, campers, buses and large truck-trailer combination’s will not be allowed over the Hoover Dam Bridge. High-profile vehicle drivers will need to seek alternate routes, such as U.S. 95 (U.S. 93 in Arizona) to Laughlin.

WIND ADVISORY– During wind advisories ( sustained winds of 25 to 39 miles per hour and gusts of 30 to 49 miles per hour ), high-profile vehicles will be allowed on the Hoover Dam Bridge, but advised that wind gusts could reach up to 49 miles per hour.

Drivers can learn of wind-related closures in many ways. Signs located on U.S. 93 from west of Boulder City to the Hoover Dam Bridge, as well as on the Arizona side of the bridge, will report wind warnings with a High Profile Vehicles Prohibited message. While not behind the wheel, drivers can call 511 or 1-877-NV-ROADS for road conditions. Drivers stopped to use the computer can also view nvroads.com for the same information, and will be able to choose the ClearPath logo for e-mail or text message updates on any Hoover Dam Bridge wind conditions.

Hope This Helps
Mark Anthony