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Skywalk Over Grand Canyon Is Open For Business
A glass viewing platform suspended 1,200 metres above the vast Grand Canyon floor was opened to the public Wednesday morning.
The 30-million-dollar walkway in the US state of Arizona juts out 20 metres over the natural landmark and is expected to attract an annual 600,000 visitors, who can expect to pay 25 dollars for the privilege. The so-called Skywalk was built by a Las Vegas tour operator in conjunction with the Hualapai tribe which owns the land.
Two former US astronauts - Buzz Aldrin, 77, the second man to ever walk on the moon, and John Harrington, 48, the country's first native American astronaut - were the first to take a walk along the platform in a dedication ceremony last week.
A number of people have already booked tour expeditions to the spot - about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Las Vegas - according to Skywalk spokesman Amanda Hill. The Grand Canyon already attracts about 300,000 visitors per year who have viewing options including helicopter flights and boat trips along the Colorado River.
Only 120 "Skywalkers" can occupy the platform at any one time. The structure is fastened to the rock by a complicated system of metal cantilevers and is also built to withstand strong winds and earthquakes along with the combined weight of its visitors.
The structure has sparked controversy among members of the Hualapai tribe, whose reservation runs along the remote western edge of the canyon. Some tribe members say the Skywalk violates sacred ground, while environmentalists have charged that it demeans the area's natural beauty.
© 2007 DPA
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