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Hoover Dam Bypass Opens, Drivers Must Exercise Caution

Posted by Farhan Naqvi | Nevada Personal Injury Information

By Farhan Naqvi, Personal Injury Lawyer in Nevada

If you were tired of sitting in traffic on U.S. 93 driving from Las Vegas to Arizona because of the Hoover Dam bottleneck, then this is a week of celebration for you

Officials recently opened the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge which offers travelers an alternative to crossing the Hoover Dam. At 1,900 feet, it is the longest single-span concrete arch bridge in the Western hemisphere. It is estimated that a vehicle trip from Las Vegas to Phoenix will now be reduced by 30 minutes or more.

The bridge is part of a 4-lane bypass that reroutes traffic away from U.S. 93 for about 3.5 miles. But traffic officials are warning that the bridge may present some challenges for motorists.

  • The speed limit on the bridge is 55 miles an hour. So drivers who are used to driving at higher speeds on nearby highways will have to slow down.
  • Like similar bridges, heavy winds blowing through the canyon can have an effect on the traffic on the bridge. High-profile vehicles like RVs, campers, buses, and tractor-trailers may be blown sideways by high wind gusts, causing the drivers to lose control of those vehicles. (In fact, high-profile vehicles will be prohibited on the bridge if winds are measured at speeds greater than 50 mph.)
  • Because cold winds frequently blow through the canyon under the bridge, the roadway is more likely to be slippery or littered with icy patches during the wintertime. This could result in an increase in car, truck, SUV, and/or motorcycle collisions. 

So if you are driving across the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, be sure to exercise caution. Even if a patch of ice or a gust of wind causes you to lose control and initiate a serious car accident, you are still liable for the damage to other vehicles and the injuries to their occupants.

About the Editor: Farhan R. Naqvi is a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who has experience representing victims injured in car accidents, drunk driver crashes, truck wrecks, slip and falls, taxi cab accidents, and bicycle crashes. He also has experience handling spine injury, product liability, underinsured/uninsured driver, and wrongful death cases. If you’ve been seriously hurt in an accident in Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, Green Valley, or Pahrump, give Farhan a call at 702-553-1000 for a free, no-hassle consultation.