Bicyclists first to use Hoover dam bypass bridge

Bicyclists first to use Hoover dam bypass bridge

The new Hoover Dam bypass bridge was opened for some 1,500 bicyclists on Saturday for the Viva Bike Vegas, an annual bike event organized by the Regional Transportation Commission.

Most racers stopped as they travelled and took pictures of the 1,900 foot bridge one week before it is set to be opened to the public.

The planning and construction of the bridge took nine years and it cost $240 million to build. The bridge bypasses miles of roads with sometimes crawling traffic around the dam for travellers between Las Vegas and Phoenix.

“I wouldn’t come this far for anything except this bridge,” Tom Moss, a bike racer said.

“The scenery all along has been amazing,” Lori Galleor said. “We wanted to ride along the lake. We’ve never done that before.”

Proceeds from the bike race went to the Nevada Cancer Institute and the After-School All Stars charities.

The new span was the main attraction for the riders and even for non-riders.

Heather Stiawalt and Rodney Thanepohn bought their bikes just a few months ago for the chance to participate in the event and ride across the bridge.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” said Thanepohn. “To be the first to ride on the bridge, before even a car rides across, is a unique experience.”

Professional bikers Max Jenkins and Andrew Pinfold, who were sponsored by UnitedHealthcare, also enjoyed the ride.

“It’s spectacular to be able to ride the bridge,” Pinfold said. “It’s a real privilege to be on it. This is probably the only time it will ever happen, for cyclists to have the bridge to themselves. It’s pretty fun to be out here and see all these people and get a great view of the Hoover Dam.”

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Sunday October 17 2010, 8:54 AM EDT. Ref: Las Vegas Sun. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0