Grand Canyon Glass Bridge: A Wonder Within A Wonder
Imagine standing on a 70-foot glass bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It provides an amazing wide view of the canyon but, foremost, this part of the trip is not suited for acrophobics. The Grand Canyon glass bridge began construction on March 2004 and set to be completed in the last quarter of 2006. The whole project is a brainchild of Las Vegas-based architect David Jin and cost more than $40 million.
Jin teamed up with world-renowned team Lochsa Engineering whose portfolio includes projects like the Taipei 101, Mandalay Bay Resort, The Palms Hotel Casino, Wynn Resort Las Vegas, and the Hoover Dam. The bridge stands on the Hulapai Indian Reservation and was primarily financed by the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation. A new resort, which will be called the Grand Canyon West, will also be erected on the reservation as part of the project including a recreation of an Indian village. The Hulapai Tribe allotted 1,000 acres of its reservation into a tourist destination, which soon will also include a golf course, a high-end resort, and campgrounds.
The Grand Canyon glass bridge was able to pass engineering requirements during the final test by 400 percent. This means the Grand Canyon glass bridge can withstand more than 71 million pounds of weight (equivalent to 71 fully loaded Boeing 747 airplanes). The bridge is designed to sustain strong winds over 100 miles per hour as well as earthquakes of 8.0 magnitude within 50 miles. Over one million pounds of steel will be used in building the structure and includes dampeners to minimize vibration.
The structure, which can accommodate around 120 people, is certainly another attraction for the millions of park visitors each year who would wish to experience walking on a 4-inch thick glass (bottom and sides) at $25 per person. By comparison, visitors pay a fee of $20 per car to enter the South Rim of the national park, which is approximately 200 miles away by road.
The Grand Canyon glass bridge is definitely another attraction within one of the world's natural wonders – an attraction in itself. Critiques are suspecting whether the future revenues of the bridge can cover up for the cost of the whole construction but hopefully tourism, which is the biggest source of income of the reservation, will not fail its designers.
Due to construction delays, the opening of the Grand Canyon glass bridge to the public is postponed on March 28, 2007.
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