The Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge finally opened to traffic on October 19, 2010 after over 5 years of construction.  Work had started in January 2005 and I took these photos in August 2009.

This almost 2,000 foot long bridge, with a 1,060 foot twin-rib concrete arch, spans the Black Canyon (about 1,500 feet south of the Hoover Dam), connecting the Arizona and Nevada Approach highways nearly 900-feet above the Colorado River.

It was the first concrete-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States, it incorporates the widest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere, is the world’s highest concrete arch bridge and is the second-highest bridge in the United States, after the Royal Gorge Bridge (Source: Wikipedia).

This amazing bridge is officially called the “Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge” after two prominent local citizens.  Mike O’Callaghan was a longtime Nevadan, former Governor, community leader, and businessman who died in March 2004 at the age of 74. Pat Tillman graduated with honors from ASU and played professional football for the Arizona Cardinals before joining the Army. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 at the age of 27.

Stats at a glance:

Vital Statistics, courtesy of The Arizona Republic

Linked to the Thursday’s Special Challenge.