7/20/2010 6:02:00 AM Bypass bridge nears completion
JC AMBERLYN/Miner -- The Hoover Dam is pictured recently with a five-second camera exposure. Car’s lights can be seen as red and white streaks on the dam itself. The completion of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, expected later this year, will take the bulk of the traffic off the dam while also substantially speeding up the journey between Kingman and Las Vegas.
KINGMAN - Hoover Dam, one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders, can soon be avoided as the Hoover Dam Bypass project's timetable of opening the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge for late fall stays on course.
"The project remains on schedule for opening to traffic in November 2010," Federal Highway Administration Hoover Dam Bypass Project Manager Dave Zanetell said.
The project had six distinct, yet overlapping, phases. Four have been completed and two are under way in the final months of the project, which began in 2001 with the first phase of the Western Area Power Administration transmission relocation.
The WAPA transmission system and switch yard had to be relocated and is complete. Both the Arizona and Nevada approaches and the interim surfacing of the bypass have also been completed.
The bridge itself still needs to be completed, as does the final surfacing and roadway tie-ins.
"The concrete bridge and sidewalk is poured with the necessary profile and grooving underway," Zanetell said. "Many other detailed activities need to be finalized before the river bridge is truly complete."
Local resident Robert Ossege, who worked for 30 years as a concrete finisher, isn't completely satisfied with the work he's witnessed. Ossege sees green when he looks at the arch of the bridge.
"Hoover Dam is a statement about what this end of the world is worth," he said. "The other parts look OK, but the arch looks like they cut down on white and black. It turned green."
Zanetell disagreed with Ossege's assessment, and indicated that there is no color in the concrete. He said it is natural concrete consistent with Hoover Dam.
Signing, striping and barriers on the roadway approaches, other final details and decommissioning on the river bridge still need to be completed, Zanetell said. Construction of the pedestrian and visitor amenities, which include a parking lot, trail and interpretive plaza, are still ongoing.
"We are excited to be in the final phases of the project and look forward to the opening of the bypass to traffic in November," Zanetell said.
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, July 29, 2010
Article comment by:
alias pseudonym
What's everybody getting excited about? It's an overpass and nothing more - they have one just exactly like it in California on the I-15 freeway in Northern San Diego County near the San Marcos / Escondido on-ramp for Deer Springs Rd, and it's been there since the early 70's - I've drove under it 1000's of times! Bring more commerce to Kingman? You gotta have something to sell here for that to happen! This overpass will only theoretically make it easier to get from one state to the other over across the Colorado River at the Hoover Dam site. Theoretically speaking, it probably won't work because everyone involved has billed this whole thing as the next Wonder of the World so tourism has packed the area where what used to be a 2 hr drive from Kingman to Vegas has now turned into a 3 hr drive with all the looky-lou's, security checks by rentacops and off duty KPD & MCSD personell and others slowing down what could be a reasonable trip across the dam directing traffic on their off hours from their like duties at KUSD school zones in Kingman. The opening of this alternate route won't make things much better really as the tourist traffic will soon double just to get a look at it or by those who just want to say they drove over the 'bridge'. Again, it's the same as the one in CA - the only difference is it is over water. I think it's doubly outrageous that the building off this overpass took the better part of a decade in the era of advanced technology when the Boulder Dam (original name!) was build in less than half that time from survey to completion in the late 20's & early 30's whereby the technology did not exist to do what they had to do and they invented it on the spot! Could be that the absense of those 10's of 1000's of vehicles that have hindered the progress of this project has much to do with it. Some say lack of money but there's a LOT more money being tossed around these days than there was during the Great Depression when the Dam was built. Which incidentally was began by President Woodrow Wilson who called it the Boulder Dam Project, it was continued by Herbert Hoover, during which time someone changed the name of the Dam to his last name, and finally finished during the FDR administration, who when public outcry demanded that the Dam be renamed to the original Boulder name in lieu of Hoover's because of how HH put the US in deepest depression in history, FDR passed a Federal Law that the Dam shall ever be refered to as Hoover Dam under penalty of law! That's interesting! For my $ it's STILL Boulder Dam!
Posted: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Just Wondering
How come no vehicles are included in the grand opening? from what I hear only pedistrians & vendors. It will be nice to have an alternate route so everyone has a choice.
Posted: Friday, July 23, 2010
Article comment by:
Dolann Resident
Thank God!! It's not only going to benefit Kingman and Golden Valley, but White Hills and Dolan Springs too!! You have to go by us first. I, for one, can NOT wait to have it done. I pray that the boom happens, that jobs do come this way, that all prosper and only good things come out of this!!
Posted: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Article comment by:
Proud Kingmanite
I believe this will bring more residents to Kingman,
A lot of folks would love to live near Vegas, but not IN Vegas. Housing is cheaper here, and without that slow, winding, time-consuming drive around the dam, it'll be more lucrative to come to Kingman if you want to be close to Vegas.
I don't know about a "boom"...the economy is still in the toilet and the current administration is doing nothing to help (i.e. CUT taxes, de-regulate and STOP SPENDING). But I digress...
This is a good thing for Kingman and Golden Valley residents. I can't wait to take a little trip myself to compare how fast it'll get me there when it's finally complete.
Posted: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Article comment by:
Salvatore Santucci
Will this bridge still mean the rapid growth of Kingman as was expected before the bust?
I would love to hear responses with your thoughts and opinions.
Posted: Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Article comment by:
A T
This bridge is too cool. It is a little high for me. Gonna be interesting to see how they handle the traffic in Boulder City when they have to stop at the turn. Hey Newt..... You forgot to blame Obama. Oh maybe you did. Socialist thing. I do agree with hiring Union workers though.
Posted: Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Article comment by:
lovin the bridge
I can't wait for that bridge to be finished! I will definately be using it!!
Posted: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Article comment by:
Dont Do Heights
Oh! ye'll take the high road and I'll take the low road, And I'll be in Vegas afore ye
Posted: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Article comment by:
Newt
This bridge is just more government socialism. It cost too much and lazy people are working on it, you know, like, well qualified union workers. We should have gotten cheap, unqualified illegals on the way out of the State of Arizona to work on the bridge. My taxes are too high already to pay for this dam bridge. If people have to wait hours to cross the dam that is the free market at work. You are free to not go to Vegas.I don't want to give up my social security to pay for this thing.
Posted: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Article comment by:
CeCe00 00
No way am I going over that bridge, it is way too high. Scary.
I'll keep going through Searchlight. Yes, I am a big chicken.
Posted: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Article comment by:
I can't wait!
We have taken pictures of this bypass bridge since they started building it. It's amazing! Honestly, I am scared to drive on it. I will be there sometime in November to try it out though.
Posted: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Article comment by:
WE THE PEOPLE{ME} THINKING
,Canamex/Nafta here we go folks,So I ask will this bring badly needed jobs?? will the county bring back the 93 area plan?? which is design to funnel work through our county, what moral/ethical or natural resource would you sacarfice for a paycheck??the new version of the general plan was created to open doors of possibility's,will1070 affect the overall heathl of trade dollars or will we allow economics to furthere divide our country to the point of self destruction,THE N.A.U.-N.W.O. understands how to use economics to reshape political land scape as well as globle thinking of the mass(you/me)all of this is in the long term of thinking.social engineering dose not happen over night it began a long time ago,I'm sure if one had an open mind and did some research of your own you might find some truth at INFOWARS.COM and there seems to be some science behind it,facts that is.even if you could connect the dots what then?after all is said and done,thier can only be one answer! to twio choice'es,given our course action as it relates to economic and biological /natural resource
