Golden Gate Bridge

Efforts to begin the construction on the bridge began as early as 1928. The process would need the help of 26 counties in Northern California. In 1930 the voters created a Golden Gate Bridge and Highway district in order to propose to the city how much they needed for the bridge and show the city that there was tremendous support for the bridge to be built. The bridge just took a little over four years to complete which was under the estimated time and under the original estimated budget. If you would like more information on the Golden Bridge click here: http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/sanfrancisco/a/ggbridge_4.htm

The proposal for the Golden Gate Bridge came in 1917 by M.M. O’ Shaughnessy with the help of Joseph B. Strauss. Together they estimated that the cost would be between $25,000,000 and 30,000,000 and the main span necessary would be at least 4000 feet.

The bridge was considered impossible to build due to foggy weather, winds that went up to 60 miles per hour, and the strong ocean currents. The bridge is commonly known as the “bridge that could not be built.” Despite these elements the bridge was constructed in a little more than four years. The span of the bridge is 1.2 miles and the total cost was 35 million. Eleven men lost their lives during the construction of the bridge.

The two great cables extending from the bridge contain 80,000 miles of steel wire, which is enough to circle the equator three times. The concrete poured to cement the bridge into the waters below could have been used to pave a five-foot sidewalk from New York to San Francisco.

The mighty winds from the Pacific ocean are sustained by a mid span swing of 27 feet. The two towers of the bridge rise 746 feet, which is 191 feet taller than the Washington Monument. The pier of the bridge is 1,215 feet from the shore. The distance between the two towers that supports the two cables is 4,200 feet. The two cable are the largest ever made at a little more than 361 feet in diameter.

International orange was the color chosen for the bridge because it blended well with the bridge’s natural surroundings. It was a triumphant day in history when the bridge was completed on May 27, 1937. Over 200,000 people celebrated the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge by walking its entire length. Today, pedestrians and bicyclists are still allowed to cross the bridge as well as vehicle traffic. The bridge is a toll bridge and the toll is $3.00. The bridge is one of the architectural marvels of the twentieth century.