Las Vegas High Roller Observation Wheel Reaches New Heights

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The Las Vegas High Roller reached new heights today as the observation wheel’s first passenger cabin was rotated to the highest point on the wheel’s rim. At 550 feet, the rotation of the cabin to the mid-center point of the rim officially makes the High Roller the world’s tallest observation wheel. As the focal point of The LINQ, Caesars Entertainment’s $550 million outdoor retail, dining and entertainment district, today’s feat marks a major milestone for the Las Vegas Strip attraction. Make sure to check out the Las Vegas High Roller video below.

The first passenger cabin is rotated to the top of the Las Vegas High Roller, officially making it the world’s tallest observation wheel at 550 feet. – Photo Credit: Denise Truscello

“This was a significant step for us. The level of technical precision and detailed planning to attach a 22-ton passenger cabin to the rim is tremendous,” said David Codiga, executive project director for The LINQ. “Seeing the cabin rotate to the top of wheel is not only very satisfying for our team, who has spent years working very hard to get to this point; but it also signifies we’re just that much closer to becoming operational. We’re all very eager to welcome passengers to the tallest and most advanced wheel in the world and this gets us one step closer.”

Technical precision and detailed planning go into attaching the first passenger cabin to the rim of the Las Vegas High Roller observation wheel. – Photo Credit: Denise Truscello

Ahead of today’s first center-point rotation, the 44,000-pound, spherical, glass-enclosed cabin had to travel to the wheel site from its assembly warehouse. Transferred via police escort provided by the Nevada Highway Patrol, it took approximately three hours to travel the cabin 10 miles. In total, the High Roller will feature 28 cabins that will each hold 40 passengers. The process to attach the additional cabins to the wheel will take place over the course of the next two months.

The first passenger cabin of the Las Vegas High Roller observation wheel is transferred to the wheel site early Monday, Nov. 4. – Photo Credit: Denise Truscello

The LINQ will open in phases beginning in late 2013. During the construction phase, The LINQ and High Roller have employed about 3,000 construction workers and will create approximately 1,500 permanent jobs upon opening.