River Remedy/Nevada's Hoover Dam Bridge Approach Moves Swiftly

摘要

Significant drilling, blasting and embankment work are under way on the Nevada side of the 235 million dollars Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. The progress comes none too soon. A need for another route over the Colorado River dates back to the 1960s. As it stands, the two-lane U.S. Highway 93 over the dam is a major commercial corridor identified in the North America Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada. But since Sept. 11, truck traffic over the dam has been rerouted 23 mi. away, costing the industry an estimated 30 million dollars annually. The Federal Highway Administration is fast-tracking construction by awarding two of the four contracts needed to complete the 1,900-ft-long, four-lane bypass bridge, which also includes 4.3 mi. of accompanying roadway. Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc., of Plain, Wis. is performing the 30.1 million dollars Nevada approach, while R.E. Monks Construction Inc., of Fountain Hills, Ariz., and Chino Valley, Ariz.-based Vastco Inc., are building the 21.4 million dollars Arizona approach.