A gargantuan Ferris wheel is almost complete in Las Vegas. The 55-story High Roller will be the largest Ferris wheel in the world when it is done.
The outer wheel of the High Roller was put in place on Monday. Even though the pieces are in the process of being put together, it's not quite done yet, but it's already impressive. The gargantuan ride can be seen from all over the city, including the airport. Early next year, 1,500 LED lights will be place on the ride and it will be ready to start spinning, the Associated Press reports.
"It's going to be an icon," Project Director David Codiga told the Associated Press "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 ride is being built by Caesars Entertainment Corp., which owns more casinos that any other company in the U.S. The new ride is part of a $550 million outdoor plaza across from Caesars Palace, which is called the Linq development.
The mall, located between the Flamingo and Harrah's hotel-casino, is expected to open in the winter. Caesars is hoping the new plaza will bring in major tourism, especially from Gen Xers and millenials.
The High Roller will outdo many of the other gargantuan ferris wheels around the world. It will be 100 feet taller than the London Eye, which opened in 2000. It will be 30 feet taller than China's Star of Nanchang, which opened in 2006. It will also be 9 feet taller than the Singapore Flyer, which opened in 2008.
Since these roller coasters are so large, they usually transport riders in large, fixed capsules rather than small baskets that are typical for classic ferris wheels. The High Roller will have 28 glass capsules attached to the wheel. While riders will have to take a break from gambling, they will be able to bring a drink on board.
The ride has been under construction since 2011. It is talker than the Bellago hotel-casino, but it's no competition for the Stratosphere observation tower, which is more than 1,000 feet tall. The ride will be made up of 3.5 million pounds of steel. One revolution will take 30 minutes. This ride will be unique in that each 40-person pod will feature audiovisual shows in addition to stunning views of Vegas. Codiga says this will be done so riders won't get bored as the ride ascends and descends.
Tickets will cost about $30, which is similar to the London Eye price.
This won't be the only large Ferris wheel project in Las Vegas. A 500-foot observation wheel called SkyVue will open in mid-2015 across from Mandalay Bay.
A 625-foot Ferris wheel is also planned in Staten Island in New York City, which will take over the world's tallest record.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
