Landmark Bypass

Hoover Dam Bypass frames a national landmark and minimizes its environmental footprint

The Hoover Dam’s ridgeline has long provided a road over the Colorado River linking Nevada and Arizona. A century later, the narrow two-lane road has reached its capacity, and transportation design and construction professionals are building a river-crossing span to separate highway traffi c from the dam road to ease congestion and improve safety.

And they’re fi nding despite modern technology, the desert Southwest still presents a host of environmental, design and construction challenges. The bypass demonstates how infrastructure builders are looking to work in tandem with the natural environment.

28 | Green & Clean

“You can take environmental issues and make them a win-win,” said Ed Van Beek, project manager for the Vastco/R.E. Monks Construction joint venture, the contractor that built the Arizona approach portion of the job. The congested existing road that leads U.S. 93 over the river has sharp

curves, presenting a situation with dangerous potential. An accident could result in major damage to the Hoover Dam, interruption to the power and water supply for the Southwest and contamination of Lake Mead or the Colorado River. The new route will eliminate

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