Hoover Dam Bypass is a Vast Improvement for RV Travelers
Hoover Dam Bypass is a Vast Improvement for RV Travelers
Travel on U.S. Highway 93 has become much easier with the completion of the four-lane Hoover Dam Bypass, which also has become something of a tourist attraction. Before the bypass was completed, traffic used the top of Hoover Dam to cross the Colorado River. It was the major commercial corridor between the states of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, as well as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) route between Mexico and Canada.
Traffic Improvements
Traffic congestion caused by the inadequacy of the existing highway across the dam imposed a serious economic burden on these states. In addition, the sharp curves in the vicinity of Hoover Dam were potentially hazardous. The new route eliminates the problems with the former highway – sharp turns, narrow roadways, inadequate shoulders, poor sight distance, and low travel speeds. For our clients driving RVs through the area, these improvements will make their drive much easier and safer as well. The existing highway no longer has to accommodate US 93 through traffic and is primarily used for visitors to the dam and Bureau of Reclamation facilities. Visitor facilities have been improved at the dam site and at the new bridge.
Design Enhancements
Design work for the project began in August 2001, with completion in late October of last year. Construction of the bypass included canyon crossing bridges, grade separation structures, wildlife crossings and the Colorado River crossing. Several power line towers were relocated to make way for the new highway. The bridge, officially the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (named after a former Nevada governor and Arizona Cardinals football player and soldier who was killed in Afghanistan), soars 890 feet above the Colorado River. The bridge was built to accommodate sightseers, with a six-foot-wide sidewalk where pedestrians have a grand view of the famous Hoover Dam, just 1,600 feet away.
When you schedule your RV trip beginning in Las Vegas and going to the Grand Canyon or Sedona, allow some time to stop and take advantage of the awesome views from the bridge! For more information on this or any of our RV vacations, call (800) 243-9490.
Travel on U.S. Highway 93 has become much easier with the completion of the four-lane Hoover Dam Bypass, which also has become something of a tourist attraction. Before the bypass was completed, traffic used the top of Hoover Dam to cross the Colorado River. It was the major commercial corridor between the states of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, as well as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) route between Mexico and Canada.
