The Golden Gate Bridge, a famous suspension bridge, is the symbol of the metropolis of San Francisco. It is located at the entrance to San Francisco Bay at the Golden Gate in California. The bridge was also named after this bay “Golden Gate”, which is 1.6 kilometers wide.
According to ehuacom.com, the Golden Gate Bridge was designed by bridge architect and civil engineer Othmar Ammann. Othmar Ammann designed and built the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River in New York. Back then, Charles Ellis from Chicago developed the mathematical equations to master the technical challenges.
The Golden Gate Bridge was built from January 5, 1933 to April 19, 1937. In mid-1935, President Roosevelt ‘s Works Progress Administration encouraged construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
With a length of 2737 meters including the access ramps and a width of 27.6 meters, the Golden Gate Bridge was one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. In 1964 it was replaced as the longest suspension bridge by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York.
The actual suspension bridge has a total span of 1966 meters and has 227 meter high pylons. The pylon stems are steel and stepped three times.
On May 28, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was opened to traffic by a telegraphic signal from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Six lanes are on the Golden Gate Bridge. It connects San Francisco with Marin Country and the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Its headroom is 67 meters at high tide.
The suspension bridge is held up by steel cables almost a meter in diameter. This is also necessary because the suspension bridge weighs approximately 887,000 tons. The two towers are each held by 600,000 rivets. At the end of the bridge’s construction period, the last rivet was specially made of pure gold, but unfortunately it fell into the water and was never found again.
The suspension bridge should first be painted in an ordinary grey. The orange used is actually a preservative that protects the steel components from corrosion. But the orange color of the anti-rust paint was so popular with San Francisco residents that it stayed.
An earthquake that struck San Francisco Bay on October 17, 1989 did not cause major damage to the Golden Gate Bridge. Nevertheless, the bridge was then examined more closely and secured with the installation of vibration dampers and a reinforcement of the pillar foundations.
The bridge has a toll fee downtown to San Francisco per car. Traveling north out of town is free for all vehicles. The toll recovered $37 million in construction costs by 1971. Around 120,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day.
The toll is collected at a toll station with more than a dozen lanes. At the two main times of the day, vehicles with at least three passengers drive toll-free.
The speed limit on the bridge is 45 miles/h (72 km/h).
The Golden Gate Bridge can also be crossed on foot or by bike. They do not have to pay a toll fee.
Due to heavy fog in the San Francisco Bay Area, the bridge is often partially or completely obscured by fog.
In 2011/2012, San Francisco’s two great bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, celebrated their 75th anniversary.
For many, the Golden Gate Bridge is considered a symbol of the United States alongside the Statue of Liberty of New York. There is a good view of the prison island of Alcatraz from the bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge Half-Way to Hell Club in San Francisco
At that time, the construction of the bridge was secured by a safety net intended to catch falling construction workers. The safety net saved the lives of some construction workers. The group of survivors were dubbed the “Half-Way-to-Hell Club”.
Address of the Golden Gate Bridge attraction in San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco
California 94129, USA
www.goldengate.org
