High Roller Ferris Wheel at The Linq Has Its Braces Removed

By Scott Roeben, on October 08 2013

2 min read 0 comments

The High Roller Ferris wheel on the Las Vegas Strip, the world’s tallest observation wheel, is nearing another milestone. It’s getting its braces removed.

The High Roller is 100 feet taller than the London Eye.

The wheel’s rim was completed a couple of weeks ago, and since then, construction dudes have been meticulously installing massive cables between the hub of the wheel and the rim.

That piece in the middle is the hub thingy. Although, granted, we have yet to hear a High Roller engineer call it a “thingy.”

Temporary braces called “radial struts” are being removed one by one, with just a few remaining. Six as far as we can tell.

The High Roller's cables were made by a company called Freyssinet in France. Eugène Freyssinet was a pioneer of prestressed concrete. After it was stressed, he was pretty much useless. — The High Roller’s cables were made by a company called Freyssinet in France. Eugène Freyssinet was a pioneer of prestressed concrete. After it was stressed, he was pretty much useless.

The High Roller wheel is what’s known as a “compression wheel,” meaning the tension on the cables is what holds the 550-foot wheel together. There are 112 cables in all.

The next big step in the construction process will be the installation of the passenger cabins. Each of the 28 cabins will hold 40 people.

Here’s an artsy version of the High Roller we made because we were really bored. (Get it on a postcard or tee.)

We would like to have this on a coffee mug, despite the fact we do not drink coffee.

If you’re a High Roller wheel fan like this Las Vegas blog, you’ll want to take a look at all the High Roller photos we’ve shared during the construction process.

The High Roller should be open for business in mid-2014.