AP Features, March 15th, 2007
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is scheduled to open Tuesday with Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin among the first to stroll on the massive, glass-bottomed observation deck.
On March 7, workers inched the Skywalk over the edge of the Grand Canyon and fastened it to the rock.
The Hualapai Indian Reservation (pronounced WALL-uh-pie), a group of about 2,200 people at the canyon's remote western edge, owns the Skywalk and hope the $30 million project will lure tourists to the region and boost their struggling economy.
Organizers expect the Skywalk to become the main draw in a community of tribal attractions that includes a cowboy town, an Indian village, helicopter tours and Hummer rides through the outback. Visitors will pay $25 per person in addition to other entry fees for access to the Skywalk.
The Skywalk extends about 70 feet over the rim and about 4,000 feet over the canyon floor. It's designed to withstand 100 mph winds and has shock absorbers to keep the walkway from wobbling as people walk through.
The Hualapai Indian Reservation, which owns the so-called Skywalk, paid Aldrin, 77, to join the opening ceremony, according to a Las Vegas public relations firm working with the tribe. Hualapai Chairman Charlie Vaughn and former astronaut John Herrington plan to meet him in the middle of the walkway.
The project is not without controversy. The tribe considers the canyon sacred ground, and the construction cut into land scattered with Hualapai burial sites. Environmentalists also have criticized the project for diminishing the canyon's majesty.
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On the Net:
http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/
