Originally called Boulder Dam, Hoover Dam is a marvel.

I had put touring this dam on my bucket list many years ago and finally took the time on this trip. As an added bonus the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Bridge is a sight to behold just past the spillway. Both are engineering marvels that have huge economic impact. The scale of Hoover Dam and the bridge are awesome. The amount of electricity generated and the amount of arable land created by the dam is awesome. The bridge provides a much improved traffic route for both goods and people traveling to and from Las Vegas.

Built before WWII the size of this dam and its impoundment required new construction methods such as installing cooling pipes so that the concrete could cure properly and building it with huge Lego like blocks. Four and one half million cubic yards of concrete, 726 feet tall, and 1,244 feet long it is immense.

This concrete and steel composite arch bridge spans the 1060 ft gorge 900 ft above the Colorado river. Though not quite the longest or tallest bridge it is certainly impressive. Check out the web or better yet visit Hoover Dam yourself to find out even more. You won’t be sorry.
Keep traveling and learning,
Your Random Rover, Gordon.