News Briefs

Dam bypass bridge sidewalk to close periodically for inspections

The sidewalk across the Hoover Dam bypass bridge will experience rolling closures Tuesday through Feb. 3 for routine safety inspections. The closures will take place between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

The inspection will begin on the Arizona side of the bridge, prompting closure of the Arizona side of the sidewalk. The Nevada portion, about half of the sidewalk, will remain open. As the inspection moves to the Nevada side, the entire sidewalk will close. The sidewalk will be open during off-project hours.

The sidewalk inspections are done on a biennial basis.

Additionally, lane restrictions into and leaving Nevada will be in place for the project’s duration.

Changing energy needs focus of Lake Mead programs Saturday

Lake Mead National Recreation Area will mark Energy Innovation Day on Saturday with a variety of programs designed to explore the changing energy needs of the southwestern United States. Presentations by experts and art activities are planned from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Alan Bible Visitor Center, 10 Lakeshore Road.

Talks start at 10 a.m. with “Water Power: Drought and its Impacts on Lake Mead,” presented by Daniel Bunk, a hydrologist with the Bureau of Reclamation, who will discuss declining reservoir levels at Lake Mead.

Also scheduled are “Shifting Energy Generation” at 11 a.m. by George Rhee, a professor at UNLV, who will discuss what can be done to avoid the consequences of climate change; “Harnessing Sun and Wind” at 1 p.m. by Barb Graves, a renewable energy specialist for the National Park Service, who will talk about how the Park Service uses and protects in resources relative to renewable energy; and “Green Power” at 2 p.m. by Elizabeth Skinner, an educational specialist with the Park Service, who will showcase its solar panel system that tracks the sun to maximize energy output and how it has reduced its carbon footprint.

For more information, call 702-293-8990.