The Golden Gate Bridge, situated in the San Francisco Bay, is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. With its bright red color, and its dazzling height, it’s only of the most iconic symbols of San Francisco.
For decades, a ferry service was used to shuttle people from San Francisco across the bay to what is now Marin County. The trip would take 27 minutes one-way. This eventually led to the demand to build a bridge connecting the two areas of land.
In 1916, a proposal finally took hold. The original quote of how much the bridge would cost was $100 million (equivalent to $2.8 billion in 2023. An offer went out to bridge engineers to see if anyone could do it for less.
Engineer Joseph Strauss answered the call. There were many early proposed versions of how the bridge should be constructed. They eventually landed on the idea of a suspension-bridge.
Construction finally began on January 5, 1933. It was even completed ahead of schedule and $1.3 million under budget (equivalent to $28.9 million today).
The bridge construction was completed in just a few years and opened on May 27, 1937. It spans almost a mile in length and stands at a towering 746 feet tall.
It is still used daily by San Francisco commuters and visitors alike and serves as a huge tourist attraction. Let’s take a look at the incredible process of building such a huge and iconic bridge.
Credit: The Bancroft Library
Credit: The Bancroft Library
Credit: The Bancroft Library
Credit: The Bancroft Library
References
The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/05/26/the-construction-of-the-golden-gate-bridge/
Golden Gate Bridge: Building a San Francisco icon, in photos. https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/news/golden-gate-bridge
The History of the Design and Construction of the Bridge. https://www.goldengate.org/exhibits/the-history-of-the-design-and-construction-of-the-bridge
Stunning Photos from a 1039 Climb on the Golden Gate Bridge. https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2021/visuals/golden-gate-bridge-1936/
