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The $240-million bridge, officially named the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, is set to be completed in June 2010, with traffic moving on it starting November 2010. The structure is the keystone in the massive Hoover Dam Bypass Project, which will connect the Arizona and Nevada approach highways.

Buzz is circulating that a huge celebration will open the Bridge. Details have yet to be posted.

The Bridge will include a sidewalk for sightseers. It will be located on the north side for optimal viewing of the dam, and is part of a group of visitor amenities that include a parking lot, trail, and interpretive plaza. Here are some facts about Las Vegas’ newest attraction that will give the Grand Canyon Skywalk a run for its money:

The arch is 1,060 feet long
The Bridge is 1,900 feet long
The Bridge is located more than 900 feet above the roaring Colorado River

The Bridge, which will feature a four-lane highway, is being built to get traffic off the top of Hoover Dam, which sees between 14,000 to 15,000 truck-and-car crossings a day, twice as much as it accommodated a mere 15 years ago.

The Bypass is a boon for travelers. The original Dam road will only be open to foot traffic. Combined with the Bridge’s sidewalk, as well as a toll-free drive over the structure itself, sightseers will be able experience Hoover Dam, Black Canyon, and the Colorado River in a more comprehensible way.

Presently, the Bridge can be seen as the visitor approaches it from either the Las Vegas, Nevada, or Arizona side of Black Canyon. The best viewpoints however are:

Hoover Dam observation room
Top floor of the Dam’s parking garage
Top of Hoover Dam (middle)
Any of the Arizona lookout points (great photo opportunities…best if you have a telephoto lens).

Las Vegas is the Mecca of Hoover Dam Tours. Trip time lasts about five hours. I recommend you take the two-hour guided tour. It’s free and will get you access to all points and more on the Dam. Most tour operators are able to upgrade your Las Vegas bus tour to include a helicopter flight or boat cruise. The flight lasts around 30 minutes and gives you the bird’s eye view of the Dam. The boat puts you on the Colorado River, whereupon you float to just several hundred yards from the Dam’s water intake structures.

Kevin Kravitz is a travel writer specializing in Las Vegas tours and attractions, with special emphasis on bus, helicopter, and plane tours of the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, and The Strip. He posts his tips, ratings, and rankings at http://www.LasVegasToursAndAttractions.net