INNOVATION IN BRIDgES
Location
hDR, Inc. – T.y. Lin International – Jacobs Engineering
Hoover dam Bypass
The mike o’callaghan-pat Tillman memorial
Bridge is the centerpiece of the $240 million
Hoover Dam Bypass project. Soaring 890 feet
above the colorado river, the 1,900-foot-long
structure is anchored in the canyon’s steep rock
cliffs. The nine-year project was managed by
a six-agency consortium led by the Federal
Highway Administration central Federal lands
Highway Division.
The river gorge presented unique challenges
including 125-mile-per-hour wind gusts, 120-degree
temperatures, and diverse geologic features. The
main structure had to minimize view impacts and
meet historic, aesthetic, and cultural criteria. The
design required collaboration with an independent
advisory panel representing governmental
agencies, native Americans, architectural
historians, and landscape architects.
To overcome extreme site conditions, the project
team conducted extensive analyses before
selecting the alignment and bridge type: a
concrete-steel hybrid arch bridge, the first in the
United States. microStation, GeopAK, Inroads,
and project Wise helped the project team establish
design standards and communicate and collaborate
on optimal design solutions.
