Thursday 24 November 2005

Grand Canyon Structure Soars 3,800 ft over the Colorado River

Scheduled to open Jan. 1, 2006 Hualapai Indian Reservation: There really is a proposal to build a skywalk over the Grand Canyon.

The project is part of a development called Grand Canyon West located about 120 miles east of Las Vegas. The village and ranch are being built by the Hualapai Nation, which owns 1 million acres in the area. David W. Jin, a long-time tribal business partner, created the concept of the Skywalk and visitor center. "A lot of tourists already go there for the view and what we want to do is make it more dramatic," he says.

Jin’s portion, estimated at over $30 million, is privately financed and will include a museum, three restaurants and bars, a movie theater, VIP lounge, gift shop and meeting space. "The whole idea is to make the Grand Canyon experience like nothing else in the world," he says. "The Skywalk will have what I call a 720° view–360° around and 360° up and down. And handicapped people will be able go to the middle of the canyon."

* Juts about 70 feet into the canyon, 4000 ft above Colorado River
* Built with more than a million pounds of steel beams, and includes
dampeners that minimize the structure's vibration
* Designed to hold 72 million pounds, withstand an 8.0 magnitude
earthquake 50 miles away, and withstand winds in excess of 100 mph
* The walkway has a glass bottom and sides...four inches thick

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