On Nevada Way at Ash Street, on the right when traveling west on Nevada Way.
At the height of Hoover Dam construction, more than 7,000 men labored in Black Canyon. Some jobs were glamorous and exciting, such as the high scalers who swung over the canyon on ropes or the cableway operators who kept concrete buckets moving 24 . . . — — Map (db m39487) HM
Pat Tillman died a warrior.
Mike O'Callaghan lost a leg in combat but is better known for the battles he fought in the political arena.
They were good citizens—two of America's finest.
Donal Neil “Mike” O'Callaghan (1929-2004)
Mike . . . — — Map (db m269060) HM
On Canyon Road 0.6 miles north of Industrial Road, on the right when traveling north.
Originally a Native American trail, Bootleg Canyon – also called the Hooch Highway was a well-known backdoor into Boulder City and the Hoover Dam construction site during prohibition. Bootleggers brewed illegal alcohol in stills hidden in . . . — — Map (db m29324) HM
On Interstate 11, on the right when traveling north.
Building the dam required thousands of hands. At least 21,000 workers were required during construction. Approximately six miles from the dam city, Boulder City was constructed to provide accommodations for the workers.
Top
Panorama of . . . — — Map (db m254570) HM
Originally founded in 1931 as a community for the workers building Hoover Dam, Boulder City was the first planned community in southern Nevada. Designed by Saco Rienk DeBoer, it was a federal reservation. Only workers associated with the building or . . . — — Map (db m71903) HM
On Arizona Street, on the right when traveling east.
The Boulder Dam Hotel has been part of Boulder City history since its opening in 1933. Designed by Mort Wagner the hotel was built by Paul Stewart "Jim" Webb, Raymond Spilsbury, and Austin Clark. It is located in Cardenas Plaza - known today as . . . — — Map (db m39502) HM
On Interstate 11, on the right when traveling north.
The name of the dam has changed over the years, but the remarkable feat transcends names. The modern name is Hoover after the U.S. president in office during the initial construction. The Hoover Dam, the height of a 60 story building, is the . . . — — Map (db m254579) HM
Hoover Dam has been a magnet for tourists - and their cars -
from the earliest years of its construction.
The Memorial Bridge has reduced the number of vehicles traveling across the dam. This not only improves the visitor experience but also . . . — — Map (db m285147) HM
Best Crossing Site
Seeking the best new bridge site was one of the first major decisions in bypassing the river crossing atop Hoover Dam.
The Project Management Team (PMT) identified 13 alternative routes early in the project. These . . . — — Map (db m285199) HM
One of the finest examples of how civil engineering ingenuity shaped the development of society's quality of life in the 20th century. — — Map (db m31900) HM
From Water to Watts
The nearby switchyards, towers, and high voltage power lines deliver electricity from Hoover Dam generators to Southwestern cities.
The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) operates and maintains the Hoover - . . . — — Map (db m285167) HM
On Purple Heart Highway (Interstate 11), on the right when traveling north.
The Colorado River drains roughly 243,000 square miles and winds along a 1,450 mile course from Colorado to the Gulf of California. Diversion and dams along the Colorado River began in 1905, with the most recent completed in 1970. Numerous other . . . — — Map (db m254565) HM
On Interstate 11, on the right when traveling north.
The task of completing the dam was both immense and treacherous, but the project was completed in 1935, just over four years from the start. The dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The National Park Service has been on site . . . — — Map (db m254568) HM
Planning and designing the Memorial Bridge took two years, during which multiple options for its design were considered.
Five types of bridge designs were evaluated for their costs, aesthetic appeal, and capacity to withstand high winds, . . . — — Map (db m285150) HM
Design Philosophy of the Bypass Corridor
The Project's Corridor Design Manual presented principles for combining design aesthetics with efficient structural engineering to assure that the design excellence of today would honor that of Hoover . . . — — Map (db m285230) HM
The Bureau of Reclamation welcomes you to Hoover Dam, one of the exceptional engineering achievements of the 20th Century.
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided a reliable supply of water and affordable electricity to the people of the . . . — — Map (db m285528) HM
The Bureau of Reclamation welcomes you to Hoover Dam, one of the exceptional engineering achievements of the 20th Century.
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided a reliable supply of water and affordable electricity to the people of the . . . — — Map (db m292495) HM
The Hoover Dam mascot only acted like he owned the dam,
but without a doubt, he owned the hearts of its workers.
The dog wandered freely around the job site; up ladders, over catwalks and
through tunnels. He even rode the open-air elevator . . . — — Map (db m111204) HM
Born in 1858, Dr. Elwood Mead became a world-renowned water and irrigation engineer. He wrote Wyoming's first water code, the basis for codes throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. He wrote the Carey Act, led . . . — — Map (db m31902) HM
On U.S. 95 at Nevada Route 165, on the left when traveling south on U.S. 95.
Eldorado Canyon runs east from here to the Colorado River and was the site of one of Nevada's mining booms. Prospectors began digging for gold and silver here, about 1859, forming the Colorado Mining District. The three largest mines, the . . . — — Map (db m29328) HM
Respect the Landmark
The designers and builders of Hoover Dam showed pride in their creation and respect for the future generations that would marvel at the visual quality of their work.
The artist's attitude as much as any engineering . . . — — Map (db m285165) HM
Near Hoover Dam Access Road east of Great Basin Highway / Hoover Dam Bypass (Interstate 11), on the right when traveling east.
Land Surveying Above
The bridge engineers needed accurate measurements of the land surface to help them fit the River Bridge perfectly into the rugged canyon.
Land surveyors carefully drew topographic maps to record the width of the . . . — — Map (db m285521) HM
On Nevada Way at Cherry Street, on the right when traveling west on Nevada Way.
[ Front ]:
"The Old Man"
Francis Trenholm Crowe
Born: October 12, 1882
Died: February 26, 1946
World's Outstanding Builder of Dams
[ Right Side ]:
"We had 5,000 men in a 4000-foot canyon. The problem was to . . . — — Map (db m39485) HM
Near Hoover Dam Access Road east of Boulder City Bypass / Purple Heart Highway (Interstate 11), on the right when traveling east.
Rock Anchors
To protect the foundations and stabilize the slopes, rock anchors tightly hold together the fractured rock faces on slopes and cliffs.
Geotechnical (rock and soil) engineers determined where they must stabilize the slopes . . . — — Map (db m285522) HM
On Hoover Dam Access Road, on the left when traveling north.
The building of Hoover Dam was a ray of hope for a nation struggling
with hard times. Newsreel images of the high-scalers who worked the
canyon walls ignited public interest in the project.
"Scaling" is the process of removing loose rock . . . — — Map (db m111191) HM
On Nevada Highway near Avenue B, on the right when traveling east.
When the government built Boulder City, it didn't plan for children. But, as the Depression drove workers into southern Nevada to build Hoover Dam, workers brought their families with them. The new town and surrounding desert provided an exciting . . . — — Map (db m71106) HM
Since 1935, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided flood control, irrigation, drinking water, and power to communities in the desert. These resources have transformed the southwest into production farmland and thriving communities. The dam was . . . — — Map (db m31879) HM
The Hoover Dam construction crew’s mascot was found as a
puppy by workers at the construction camp. This dog traveled
to and from the dam site with them and spent his days visiting
the many work areas. On February 21, 1941, the life of this . . . — — Map (db m111203) HM
On Nevada Way at Cherry Street, on the right when traveling west on Nevada Way.
[ Front ]:
They endured the hardships so all of America might prosper
This Memorial was contributed by the men and women who built Hoover Dam to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its dedication
September 30, . . . — — Map (db m39486) HM
On Colorado Street at Nevada Highway, on the right when traveling west on Colorado Street.
This cast steel turbine runner (water wheel), which is 14.2 feet in diameter and weighs over 34 tons, powered the N-7 generator at Hoover Dam Power Plant from 1944 to 1982. The function of a turbine runner is to convert the force of falling water, . . . — — Map (db m29248) HM
Near Purple Heart Highway (Interstate 11) south of Boulder City Parkway (Business U.S. 93), on the right when traveling north.
This project team was commissioned to manage and build 15 miles of Interstate 11 from concept through completion. This segment of Interstate 11 marks the first new Interstate Highway System to be built since it was deemed complete on October 14, . . . — — Map (db m297966) HM
On Purple Heart Highway (Interstate 11), on the right when traveling north.
Established in 1964, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) encompasses two reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, three rivers (Colorado, Virgin, and Muddy) and is at the heart of a network of surrounding national parks, national monuments, . . . — — Map (db m254446) HM
On Purple Heart Highway (Interstate 11), on the right when traveling north.
Lake Mead began filling in 1935 while Hoover Dam was under construction. It is the largest man-made reservoir in the United States and is approximately 112 miles long with 247 square miles of surface and a depth of approximately 500 feet when at . . . — — Map (db m254445) HM
Hail & Farewell
U.S. 93 enters and exits Nevada and Arizona near the Hoover Dam in the most dramatic manner of any U.S. highway crossing state lines.
Before the River Bridge opened, the original highway twisted down and up the cliffs of . . . — — Map (db m285525) HM
Journeys & Heroes
The Life & Legacy of Mike O'Callaghan (1929-2004)
Life
Mike O'Callaghan, born on 10 September 1929 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, had hardworking rural beginnings that he never forgot. His parents named him Donal Neil . . . — — Map (db m269088) HM
On U.S. 93 0.4 miles north of Industrial Road, on the left when traveling north.
In 1930, Michael McKeever set up a small tent house in Hermenway Wash slightly north of Government Survey Camp #1, where he was a government cook. Soon other workers started building homes nearby, and the area became known as McKeeversville. . . . — — Map (db m69447) HM
May all who cross the canyon on this memorial bridge travel their life journeys with the strength and inspiration found in the high ideals and heroic deeds of these brave humble men.
In Memory of these men of heroic sprit who overcame . . . — — Map (db m46836) HM
Traffic congestion created the need for a bridge to bypass the road across the top of the dam. The Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which opened on October 19, 2010, meets that need.
The halogen flood lights used for night work . . . — — Map (db m285237) HM
On Interstate 11, on the right when traveling north.
In 1902 the Reclamation Act provided for the creation of what is now called the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Primarily engineers, they sought potential water development projects in western states with federal lands. The Colorado River was chosen . . . — — Map (db m254571) HM
Plants & Wildlife
The contractors protected or moved native plants before starting to build.
They collected many plants and stored them in a nursery. Later, they replanted vegetation on the site. Environmentalists also harvested seeds of . . . — — Map (db m285520) HM
On Nevada Way at Avenue B, on the right when traveling west on Nevada Way.
Legend has it there are many workers buried in Hoover Dam. However, due to the manner in which the Dam was constructed, this would have been impossible. "Puddlers" directed buckets of concrete over empty forms, released the concrete, and then used . . . — — Map (db m39488) HM
On Nevada Highway near Birch Street, on the right when traveling west.
Those that came to Boulder City to work on the dam lived in harsh conditions. The oppressive heat of the summers and the unbearable cold of the winters took its toll on many. Even the most mundane chores were difficult in this inhospitable . . . — — Map (db m71107) HM
On Veterans Memorial Highway (U.S. 93) 1.3 miles west of U.S. 95, on the right when traveling west.
Named for an 1890's railroad which was never built, Railroad Pass first became a destination after Professor Robert T. Hill discovered alunite in the area in 1908. A mining district was formed, but only small amounts of gold were found. Mines in the . . . — — Map (db m214462) HM
Roadway Framing & Deck
This efficient bridge design that combines steel and concrete members does the same work as would an all-concrete bridge, but at a much lighter weight. It also eliminates many braces between columns that would clutter . . . — — Map (db m285159) HM
On Purple Heart Highway (Interstate 11), on the right when traveling north.
Origin of the Dam
In 1902 the Reclamation Act provided for the creation of what is now called the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Primarily engineers, they sought potential water development projects in western states with federal lands. The . . . — — Map (db m257802) HM
Near Hoover Dam Access Road east of Boulder City Bypass / Purple Heart Highway (Interstate 11), on the right when traveling east.
Innovative Design for the Deck Arch Bridge
The Design Team worked through six deck arch options to find one for the best form and function, a unique hybrid structure with a concrete arch coupled with a composite steel superstructure. . . . — — Map (db m285523) HM
From start to finish, building the Memorial Bridge took nearly a decade. Five years were needed for design work, the relocation of the electrical transmission line, and the construction of new highway approaches.
The bridge itself took another . . . — — Map (db m285202) HM
On Interstate 11, on the right when traveling north.
The Six Companies, Inc. crew blasted tunnels to divert water, faced carbon monoxide-chocked tunnels and worked with jackhammers from heights of 700 feet. Casualties resulted from falling equipment, rocks and workers. This view shows the interior of . . . — — Map (db m254572) HM
Near Nevada Highway, on the right when traveling east.
In 1938, Transcontinental and Western Air Lines, later Trans World Airlines, began serving Clark County, flying into Bullock Field in Boulder City. The airline believed that Boulder City would be a more lucrative market than nearby Las Vegas, and . . . — — Map (db m46833) HM
Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge
The building of the Memorial Bridge did not just have to meet the technical challenges of designing and construction. They also had to do their jobs next door to the iconic Hoover Dam - a . . . — — Map (db m285158) HM
