The last time I visited Hoover Dam was before the new bridge opened in 2010. The official name for the bridge is "The
Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge" to honor Nevada's most popular governor and a professional football player who gave it up to fight and die for his country. I'll just refer to it as "the bridge" from now on.
Every time I visit the dam, I marvel at the engineering and planning that went into the project, as well as the physical effort and sacrifice of the workers who actually made it happen. The bridge is another engineering feat that took ten years to design, plan and execute. It is a unique and beautiful structure that I was anxious to see. There is a pedestrian walkway onto the bridge that is extremely popular with tourists, primarily because of the great view it affords of the Hoover Dam. Getting to the walkways requires climbing some stairs or walking up the handicapped-accessible ramp, but the effort is truly rewarded at the top.
On the way to the bridge, there are numerous signs to explain the design and construction of the bridge and how it compares to other great bridges around the world. One sign shows how the fragile canyon wall is secured by a large number of rods driven deep into bedrock, holding screens to prevent rock falls. The rods have metal caps to protect them from the elements.
After a short time on the bridge, I drove down to the dam and crossed over to the Arizona side, where most of the overlooks are located. Going down the steep, twisting road, I was stopped long enough to get a picture of the bridge and the people now up there looking down, 886 feet to the water below.
From the overlooks on the Arizona side, there are great views of the dam, the bypass tunnels, the Visitor Center and the bridge.
My original plan was to be there before, during and after sunset. Once there, I realized the sunset wasn't going to be particularly good, and that what sunset there was would be blocked by the mountains behind the bridge. So, I left to find a place to have dinner, stopping at the Hoover Dam Lodge. I learned the original hotel/casino on this site was active from 1948 until in burned in 1998. A new building went through several ownerships, with the latest having done a major refurbishment. It's a very nice place and I had an excellent meal, then went to find a good sunset spot.
After sunset, I went back to the dam and crossed over to the Arizona parking areas to get some night photos. Unfortunately, they don't allow any stopping on the dam at night, so I wasn't able to get good shots of the bridge under the lights. On thw whole, however, I felt like my visit had been very successful.
I'll be moving today and may not have internet access for a while, but I'll catch up when I can.
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