The Hoover
Bypass Project is designed to relieve the major traffic bottleneck which Hoover
Dam has become. The highway which crosses over Hoover Dam, US 93, has been
designated a North American Free Trade Agreement route. This region once again
benefits from the exploitation of what has now become a natural resource.
Scheduled for completion in 2007, the "Bypass" is a wonderful idea
because it addresses several issues with one solution. The increased traffic
from NAFTA is a very practical reason for the bridge. The trucks carrying goods
between trading partners does not need to go over Hoover Dam. It will make the
trip faster and easier.
The security issues are obvious. There would no longer be a need to drive
through Hoover Dam if you are trying to go south on US 93. Trucks would not need
to be checked at the Dam anymore except in extreme and unusual emergencies.
The traffic congestion at the Dam will also be eliminated making it more
convenient for visitors. The current number of trucks and cars crossing Hoover
Dam is over 14,000, double from 15 years ago.
The bridge will itself become an attraction. The two mega projects together side
by side will be a contrast in styles from two different eras. The bridge wil
become the place to see Hoover Dam from. Hoover Dam will become the place to see
the bridge from.
The final results of this project might be interesting and unforeseen. The slow
and difficult road which crosses over Hoover Dam now is only a testament to  the
difficulty in building here in the first place. By making Mojave County Arizona
more accessible to Las Vegans, they will travel there and through there more
often.
Ultimately, this part of Arizona will see increased and a faster pace in
development. Towns will probably grow where none exist today. Around Las Vegas
there are already two new, growing towns, Laughlin and Primm. It would not be
out of order for property values to start rising in Northern Arizona because of
the increased flow of traffic through and increasingly, to, this area.
One of the unforeseen benefits of Hoover Dam, the huge popularity of Lake Mead,
was probably never considered. The fact that there are nine to ten million
visitors a year to Lake Mead would probably seem unbelievable even to Herbert
Hoover back in the 1920's.
The photo at the left is what it should look like when it is done in 2003. The
simple elegance and hugeness of this bridge lets it fit into, rather than clash
with its surroundings.
The
aerial photo and the computer rendition of the bridge was given to us through the Courtesy of The Hoover Bypass Project |
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