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About the Grand Canyon Skywalk
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a tourist attraction along the Colorado River on the edge of the Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon West) in the state of Arizona. It was funded by the Hualapai Indian tribe in partnership with Chinese-American businessman David Jin.
The horseshoe-shaped glass walkway stands 3,600 feet (1,100 m) high above the floor of the canyon, a height exceeding the world's tallest skyscrapers. The Skywalk is not directly above the main canyon, Granite Gorge, which contains the Colorado River; rather, it extends over a side canyon and affords a view into the main canyon.
USGS topographic maps show the elevation at the Skywalk's location as 4,770 ft (1,450 m) and the elevation of the Colorado River in the base of the canyon as 1,160 ft (350 m); they also show that the height of the vertical drop directly under the skywalk is between 500 ft (150 m) and 800 ft (240 m).
Commissioned and owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe, it was unveiled March 20, 2007, and opened to the general public on March 28, 2007. It is accessed via the Grand Canyon West Airport terminal or 120 miles (190 km) drive from Las Vegas, which includes an unpaved and bumpy 18 miles (29 km) stretch.
The Skywalk protrudes 20 metres (66 ft) beyond the edge of the canyon. The walls and floor are built from glass 4 inches (102 mm) thick. The glass appears tinted on both edges, however this is a protective cushioning for the glass. This running along the sides can be used as a "safe zone" by frightened visitors. While the Skywalk is capable of holding 70 tons of weight (the equivalent of 800 people weighing 176 lbs. each), the permitted capacity is limited to 120 persons. Visitors are provided with shoe covers to protect them from slipping and to prevent the glass floor from being scratched. The Skywalk was built by the French company Saint-Gobain.
Construction of the Sky Walk began in March 2004. It was rolled onto the edge of the canyon on March 7, 2007, after passing several days of testing to replicate weather, strength, and endurance conditions of its final destination. The structure was built to withstand up to 100 mph (160 km/h) winds and a magnitude 8 earthquake. (Information source: Wikipedia.)
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