Aerial view of the completed arch on September 9, 2009 in Arizona. Twelve years in planning and five years in construction, the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is finally taking shape. As illustrated in these incredibly detailed photographs, the structure, which is known more widely as the Hoover Dam Bridge or Bypass, is on schedule for its September 2010 completion date. Rising 890 ft above the Colorado River, when finished, its total length will be 1,900 ft, with its longest supported span running to 1080 ft. Built in the shadow of the iconic Hoover Dam, which powers most of Nevada and Arizona, the construction is the first concrete-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States. With costs estimated to run to £160 million, the bridge is designed to take the pressure off the congested US Highway 93 and is expected to carry 17,000 trucks and cars daily.
