After a decades-long effort, a second bridge now connects Laughlin, Nevada, to Bullhead City, Arizona.
Hundreds gathered in scorching temperatures Friday, for the opening of the 724 ft. long bridge dubbed the Silver Copper Crossing.
The two-lane bridge that spans the Colorado River includes a multi-use trail for bicyclists and pedestrians.
It was funded as part of a collaborative effort between local, state, and federal governments, who had, for decades, pushed for a second crossing to facilitate the flow of traffic and commerce between Laughlin and Bullhead City.
Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, who represents Laughlin, says the bridge is beneficial for everyone living in the area.
"While the Colorado River separates them separates them by geography, they are completely intertwined. Employees of the casino corridor live in Bullhead. Bullhead City residents utilize all of the amenities of Laughlin. Both sides of the river understood the value to emergency management, the value to economic development, and the value to those who live on both sides of the Colorado."
The Silver/Copper Crossing is the first bridge built in the area since 1987, when Don Laughlin built his bridge eight miles upriver.
Federal funding for a second bridge connecting the two towns was first committed in the 1990s after a push from then-Senator Harry Reid.
