Hoover Dam Bridge is America's Newest Wonder

The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tilman is now open!

The Hoover Dam may be the greatest engineering accomplishment in our nation's history,  but the new bridge may be as great for our generation.  After 9 years of construction, the bridge honors two people from the states that the bridge connects:  Mike O'Callaghan from NV and Pat Tilman from AZ.  Here are a few highlights:

• The highest and longest arched concrete bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
• The second-highest bridge of any kind in the United States and 14th in the world.
• The world's tallest concrete columns of their kind.
• It is perched 890 feet above the Colorado River. 
• The four-lane bridge opened  just two weeks after the 75th anniversary of the Hoover Dam’s opening ceremony. 
• The bridge honors Pat Tilman the Arizona Cardinals linebacker who joined the U.S. Army after the 9/11/01 attacks and was killed by friendly fire during combat in Afghanistan, and Mike O'Callaghan was a two-term Nevada governor and decorated Korean War veteran.
• Studies indicate that motorists will save an average of 17 minutes when crossing from one side of the canyon to the other. On busy holiday weekends, the time savings could be more because the bridge eliminates tourist travel congestion and security checkpoints that have caused two-hour delays at the dam.
• As the bridge rose 1,200 workers and 300 engineers worked on the project.

PHOTO BY: DAVID WALLACE/THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC 

People walk across the Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge during the bridge dedication ceremony.

Watch time lapsed photography of the bridge being built (it's worth watching the 10 second commercial that precedes it).