Dam opens to traffic; visitors’ center closed

Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

Hoover Dam, one of the country's biggest tourist attractions, was opened to passenger traffic at 9 a.m. today.

But the Nevada Department of Transportation said all buses, trucks and trailers still were being denied access to pass across the dam between Arizona and Nevada because of security reasons in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attacks.

Parking lots, garages and the visitors' center remained closed at the dam, the DOT said.

Motorists were being advised to use alternative routes to Arizona.

Nellis Air Force Base, meanwhile, remained on a heightened state of readiness today, with guards checking each ID at the main gate -- the only permitted access point -- and using special mirror devices to check under cars for explosives.

On the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street, casinos were open as well, but gambling action was reported slow.

People congregated at United Blood Services' four locations around Southern Nevada, some waiting up to eight hours to donate. More than 1,000 people had donated blood by late Tuesday, spokesman, Dan Perlstein said.

The blood was to be flown today in a C-130 military transport from Nellis to the blood center's laboratories in Tempe, Ariz. After being tested, the blood was to be shipped to New York as needed, Perlstein said.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said this morning all state agencies remained on alert, but no terrorist threats were reported overnight in Nevada.

Guinn said he expected things to return to normal in state government once the airways opened up.

Although aircraft were grounded, Guinn said he gained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use two Chinook helicopters from the Nevada National Guard for firefighting purposes. If there are lightning strikes in the back country of Northern Nevada, the helicopters will be able to carry bags or water to control the flames.

But the governor said he could not win permission to allow National Guard tankers to drop retardant on a potential blaze.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, meanwhile, led a moment of silence this morning outside City Hall for the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.