Construction on SkyVue observation wheel enters new phase
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- The largest observation wheel in the western hemisphere is taking one step closer to completion.
Six semi-trucks are scheduled to deliver massive steel support cables from Los Angeles today.
The steel support cables will keep the 500-foot structure in place. The cables are the largest of their kind in the nation.
If you were to stretch the cables end-to-end, they would extend from Las Vegas all the way to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
Soon you'll start to see the attraction take shape on the strip. The two columns are now rising at a rate of 4 feet every day.
"The steel is one big erector set so the wheel will go up fairly quickly. By the end of this year you'll physically see a wheel on the strip," said Developer Howard Bulloch.
Another big step in the construction process will be the start of the multilevel shopping center at the base of the observation wheel.
Plans call for a 140,000-square-foot retail and food center surrounding SkyVue.
A big topic has also been safety. The Las Vegas valley is known to have strong winds at times. So the SkyVue has several wind speed indicators on its property.
"We will have a number of those on the physical ride itself, said Keith Robertson, President of JKR & Assoc. "It's going to pick up wind, it will tell us humidity, and it will tell us just about anything we need to know."
The ride is designed to withstand winds of up to 93 mph, but the SkyVue will stop operating if it gets too windy. They'll stop at 40 mph to 45 mph, just to keep the passengers comfortable.
Based on statistics from similar observation wheels around the world, SkyVue expects to attract 40 million visitors to Las Vegas each year.
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