AASHTO Journal, 6 April 2012
Arizona and Nevada’s Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, standing almost 900 feet above the Colorado River and stretching roughly 2,000 feet long, was honored late last month with American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 2012 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) award.
“We are proud to be recognized for this great achievement, but the credit really goes to the workers who helped build it,” said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement. “America can dream big because of the strength of our workers – and this new bridge is proof.”
The $240 million bridge, officially named the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, is the longest single-span concrete arch bridge in the western hemisphere and one of the tallest in the world. The bridge is one portion of a five-mile bypass that consists of four lanes of roadway, eight bridges, and interchanges in both Nevada and Arizona. Construction on the project began in 2005 and it was opened to traffic in 2010.
“Big projects like this are needed now more than ever, not only for job creation in the short term, but for long-lasting economic recovery,” said FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez.
The Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award honors the best publicly-funded engineering projects each year. This year’s award was announced during ASCE’s annual OPAL Gala at the Renaissance Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
More information on the OCEA award can be found at bit.ly/ocea2012.