Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Grand Canyon Skywalk

If you ever dream to fly high above the Colorado River, I think your dream has come true. It may not need conventional flying methods but just walking. Grand Canyon Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway at a 1,200-meter (4,000 ft) height, is situated on the edge of the Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon West) in the U.S. state of Arizona.

On May 2005, the final test was conducted and the structure passed engineering requirements by 400 percent, enabling it to withstand the weight of 71 fully loaded Boeing 747 airplanes (more that 71 million pounds). The bridge will be able to sustain winds in excess of 100 miles per hour from 8 different directions, as well as an 8.0 magnitude earthquake within 50 miles. More than one million pounds of steel will go into the construction of the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
It is assumed that Skywalk has cost around $31 million and Hualapai, the creator of Skywalk expects to build a museum, Movie Theater, VIP lounge, gift shop, and several restaurants in the near future.





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