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Gene · 10-15-2010, 11:31 AM

I don't think you could easily turn a truck or larger car around easily on the dam, and I doubt the feds would like that, so I suppose there are parking areas on each side. I think we had to park at the end in the '50's, but memories of that era are mostly imaginary.

Someone posted earlier that you had to come to the dam from the west side.

Gene

345bill · 10-15-2010, 03:05 PM

I hope this works...It answeres a lot of Q's asked above:
New Hoover Dam Bridge Makes America's Heart Soar

Gene · 10-15-2010, 09:23 PM

Thanks for the update.

Gene

Mike Leary · 10-15-2010, 09:46 PM

And this: Hoover Dam Bypass

345bill · 10-20-2010, 06:18 PM

Our local news just now reported that the bridge is now open for vehicle traffic.

As for pedestrian traffic they said that portion should be open by this time tommorow.

Airslide · 10-20-2010, 07:09 PM

Wow... we saw this thing all the way through! Thanks for you great reporting Bill and everyone else that chimed in..

Mike Leary · 10-20-2010, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airslide

Wow... we saw this thing all the way through! Thanks for you great reporting Bill and everyone else that chimed in..

Yup, this thread is history! Sure has been fun following the progress of such a great undertaking. It will cut our north and south driving time huge.

TinShack · 10-20-2010, 07:38 PM

We're headed to Las Vegas over Thanksgiving and staying at Oasis RV Resort. Can't wait to take a day trip over to Hoover dam and check out the new bridge!

Foiled Again · 10-20-2010, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicheVintage

Sorry Paula.

I think that may have been us in our Airstream. We didn't see anyone waive we would have waived back. We were heading back from visiting family there. We have a 65 Overlander and a White Yukon TV.

Nope - it was a newish 2004-2006 25 SS. We're EVERYWHERE!

Glad you got to be one of the last to go over the old road though!

Paula

345bill · 10-24-2010, 04:01 PM

In our motorhome today we crossed the bridge, in both directions, then parked and went up to the pedestrian portion.

To be honest, from sitting in driver seat, driving across bridge was no different than driving over a long freeway overpass. Coming back or heading into NV the wife said she could see a portion of the dam from her seat.

Now if you go up the steps to the pedestrian portion you'll be rewarded with one of those lifelong enjoyable memories. There is also a zig-zag walkway for those not wanting to climb steps that looks like it should work for those who need wheelchair or scooter access. It is lenghthy though. Once you're on top looking down you get the same feeling that you get from being on apex of a high roller coaster except you're standing still.

If you choose to, vehicles are still permitted to cross the dam but only from the NV side. If you drive across the dam you actually go into AZ but cannot get back on 93 from AZ side. There are a couple places where you can turn around if you're in a MH or towing your AS.

As far as parking to do the pedestrian portion we went about 40 or 50 yards past the parking lot entrance as there is a spot there for busses or whoever else needs to park an oversize vehicle, TT or whatever.

Here's pics of walkway/roadway on top and of the dam from walkway.

Wingeezer · 10-24-2010, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

I read somwhere that the dam crossing has to be entered from the Nevada side, not sure if that means pedestrian traffic only or what?

If I recall correctly, when driving, you don't see a whole lot when driving acros the dam.

I did it a few years ago with trailer in tow - just after we got across there were car park areas, but the were pretty busy and I couldn't stop with the trailer.

So, a couple of years later - we stopped in Vegas for a week and one day we just drove over with the truck, parked in the multilevel carpark and did the tour, walked across the dam etc.

Brian.

Airslide · 10-24-2010, 04:36 PM

It was probably a planned event by design that you cant see too much while driving.. It would feel like the Ice road truckers-most dangerous highway driving experience for most folks otherwise.. lol

345bill · 10-25-2010, 09:09 AM

I did it a few years ago with trailer in tow - just after we got across there were car park areas, but the were pretty busy and I couldn't stop with the trailer.

Brian.[/QUOTE]

That's still true,Brian,and a good point to mention. Although most of the congestion we saw yesterday was concentrated at the new parking lot (for the bridge) if one was to tow across the dam and the park area's there were full I could see that could be a nightmare unless you didn't mind hanging out till the area thinned out.

We lucked out yesterday when we spotted extra spaces in the lot that had tour busses parked so our MH fit right in.

aftermath · 10-25-2010, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 345bill

In our motorhome today we crossed the bridge, in both directions, then parked and went up to the pedestrian portion.

So, it is now open in BOTH directions? I have read many statements that you had to come in from the Nevada side to get across the bridge. This never made much sense to me but I assumed it was true.

Help me out, could you?

Zeppelinium · 10-25-2010, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aftermath

So, it is now open in BOTH directions? I have read many statements that you had to come in from the Nevada side to get across the bridge. This never made much sense to me but I assumed it was true.

Help me out, could you?

You have to come from Nevada to get to the visitor center and the dam. You can drive over the bridge from either direction.

Zep

345bill · 10-25-2010, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aftermath

So, it is now open in BOTH directions? I have read many statements that you had to come in from the Nevada side to get across the bridge. This never made much sense to me but I assumed it was true.

Help me out, could you?

I can see where it gets confusing if you're not familar with how it's set up. Visiting the dam or walking on the bridge can only be done from the NV side.

ALL THRU VEHICLE traffic must use the new bridge and Zep is correct that the bridge is now open for vehicle traffic in both directions.

Hope this helps.