The madcap carnival on the Las Vegas Strip is getting another over-the-top addition: the world’s largest Ferris wheel.
The
outer wheel of the 55-story High Roller ride was hoisted into place
Monday. The gargantuan project is now visible from all over the city,
including the airport. Early next year, it will be outfitted with 1,500
LED lights, and start its slow spin.
“It’s going to be an icon,”
Project Director David Codiga said. “It’s going to be a part of your
visit to Las Vegas if you ride it or not. It’s more or less impossible
not to see it if you come here.”
The wheel, which has been under
construction since 2011, is taller than the Bellagio hotel-casino but
still dwarfed by the Stratosphere observation tower, which rises more
than 1,000 feet. It will carry 3.5 million pounds of steel — the
equivalent of about 200 Hummers— and will take 30 minutes to make one
revolution.
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