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By Frank Schulenburg – Wikimedia
Top 15 Facts about the Golden Gate Bridge
*Originally published by Lillian on September 2020 and Updated by Vanessa in October 2022
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning across the Golden Gate.
It is one mile wide and connects the city of San Francisco to the tip of San Francisco Peninsula in Marin County.
This bridge is one of the most internationally recognized manmade structures of San Francisco and California.
Designed in 1917 by engineer Joseph Strauss, it is one of the Wonders of the Modern World as declared by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The bridge is one of the most photographed in the world and has featured in several Hollywood films too. It is also the most visited structure in California.
This architectural wonder provides a beautiful backdrop for photos and magnificent views.
Want to know more? here are some facts about the Golden Gate Bridge.
1. A ferry got people across before the bridge was built
By Shepp, James W – Wikimedia
Before this majestic bridge was built, the only practical way of connecting between San Francisco and Marin County was by boat or ferry across a section of the San Francisco Bay.
The ferry service started in the early 1820s. It had scheduled services in the 1840s purposefully to transport water to San Francisco.
This service was offered by Sausalito Land and Ferry Company service that was launched in 1867. The ferry took approximately 20 minutes and the cost was $1.00 per vehicle.
2. It is a suspension bridge
By Wa17gs – Wikimedia
This bridge was designed by engineer Strauss who was in charge of its overall design and construction.
Since he had little knowledge of cable-suspension bridges, he passed over this responsibility to expert architects.
The final product that we see today is the work of Leon Moussaieff who was the engineer responsible for designing the Manhattan bridge in New York.
The shape of the bridge towers, lighting scheme and art deco was done by Irvin Morrow. He also chose the famous orange colour of the bridge.
3. The construction of the bridge was first proposed in 1872
Just three years after the transcontinental railroad was completed, Charles Crocker, made a bid for the construction of a bridge.
He laid out plans for a bridge that would span the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance of San Francisco bay.
Few people believed in his idea and it was until 1919 when more people took this idea seriously. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors did a feasibility test of the bridge.
Its initial estimated budget for the bridge was $100 million.
4. It was opened to the public in 1937
By Mr. Euler – Wikimedia
The bridge was first opened to the public and vehicles on May 27, 1937. At that time, this was the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world.
The Golden Gate Bridge spans at 4,200 feet and has a total height of 746 feet. It took slightly more than three years to construct the bridge.
During the opening day, at least 200,000 people crossed the bridge. They competed to be the first to run, push baby strollers, and even roller skate across the Golden Gate Bridge.
A series of firsts were recorded that that day like the first person to cross the bridge on stilts.
To honour the opening day of the bridge, the chief engineer, Joseph Strauss, dedicated a poem titled ‘the mighty task is done’ to the bridge.
5. The first design of the bridge was different
Several skilled engineers were contacted by O’Shaughnessy on a bridge idea. He sent them letters proposing a bridge over the Golden Gate Strait.
The engineers contacted were Joseph B. Strauss, Francis C. McMath, and Gustav Lindenthal.
Strauss submitted plans for a symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid span. His estimated budget for the bridge was between $17 million or $27 million.
The design was however not revealed to the public for more than a year. Meanwhile, Strauss was campaigning for support from Californians using his original patented design.
When the commission in charge of the bridge project finally revealed the design, the public was not pleased.
The design was called ugly by the local press. This led to the change of plans and Strauss abandoned his design and took up a more conventional bridge.
6. Orange was not its intended colour
By Brocken Inaglory – Wikimedia
The U.S. Navy wanted the bridge painted black and yellow stripes to warrant visibility of passing ships.
But in due course, the bridge was painted the international orange we see today. The colour compliments the bridge’s natural surroundings.
It also improves the bridge’s visibility in fog. When the steel finally arrived in San Francisco, it was painted a burnt red hue as a primer.
Another reason why Strauss settled for the international orange colour was that it creates an illusion that the bridge is massive.
7. Many were opposed to its construction
The initial design of the Golden Gate Bridge by engineer Joseph Strauss was rejected by the people.
This was because the cantilever bridge design he came up with was considered ugly. This did not dampen Strauss’ spirit, he brought in other engineers on the project and they eventually come up with the bridge’s final and elegant design.
There was a lawsuit against the bridge too, this was submitted by the ferry company that transported people and vehicles between San Francisco and Marin County.
Others that opposed the construction of the bridge said that it was likely going to ruin the natural beauty of the strait.
8. The construction of the bridge was a dangerous affair
The construction of the bridge was not an easy task for the engineers and other construction workers.
Safety of all that worked on the bridge was therefore paramount. To ensure this, a safety net was suspended under the bridge to catch workers that may accidentally fall while working.
19 workers were saved by the safety net and they later formed an elite club called the Half Way to Hell Club.
11 men lost their lives during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
9. The bridge has been closed three times
The Golden Gate Bridge has been closed three times since it was opened in 1937.
One of the main reasons for the closure is bad weather, the others being construction work and anniversaries. Its longest shutdown was in 1983.
It was a windy day; the wind was blowing at 75 miles per hour across the bridge. The bridge was closed for three hours and 27 minutes.
Famous personalities have also caused the closure of the bridge. The first being President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the second was for French President Charles de Gaulle.
10. The 50th anniversary of the bridge was disastrous
By Wa17gs – Wikimedia
When the officials planned on celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Golden Gate Strait, they expected to have 50,000 people.
To their surprise, this was not the case, 800,000 people showed up at the bridge.
Due to the weight of the mammoth crowd, the arch of the bridge flattened out. The suspension cables at the center of the bridge were stretched as tight as harp strings.
Luckily, the bridge was designed in a way that it could move 15 feet vertically and sway 27 feet sideways.
11. The Name of the Golden Gate Bridge has a not-so-surprising origin
The Golden Gate Strait, which separates the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay, is where the bridge gets its name. But where did this moniker for the strait come from? The name “Golden Horn” was given to the strait in 1846 after an American topographer said it reminded him of a Byzantine harbor with the same name.
12. The Golden Gate Bridge has a deathly history
Golden Gate Bridge by Lars Ling from Wikimedia Commons
Even if this isn’t the happiest truth on our list about the Golden Gate Bridge, every visitor should be aware of it. When the bridge was constructed in the 1930s, safety regulations weren’t as strict as they are today. Efforts were made to safeguard the security of the employees, however not all mishaps could be avoided.
Under the bridge, a safety net was stretched to catch falling workers, and while it was successful in saving 19 men, 11 tragic workers lost their lives as a result.
13. It wasn’t meant to be orange
Most people will be able to tell you what color the Golden Gate Bridge is if you ask them and yes it’s a lovely orange instead of gold.
Nevertheless, we dived deep into our collection of interesting facts about the Golden Gate Bridge and learned that the original concept was to paint it black and yellow!
This color scheme was suggested by the Navy to make the bridge more visible to passing ships, particularly in San Francisco’s infamous fog. Fortunately, “international orange” was instead the color of choice because it blends in better with the surroundings of the bridge while still providing outstanding visibility.
14. It was an expensive project
The bridge cost a total of $35 million to build when it was all said and done. When adjusted for inflation, such sums increase to well over $607 million in the present. What a costly bridge that is!
15. The Golden Gate Bridge has been used by more than 1 billion people
Golden Gate Bridge by ThomasLendt from Wikimedia Commons
And in 1985, the one billionth user did so! The Golden Gate Bridge has seen a lot of traffic over the course of its existence, which many visitors to San Francisco find surprising.
The one billionth car was registered in February 1985, and the owner was even presented with a hard hat and a bottle of champagne to mark the milestone. The bridge now states that 112,000 vehicles traverse it each day, leaving that milestone in the past.
The “Friends of the Golden Gate Bridge” organized the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge’s completion on May 24, 1987, drawing 800,000 people instead of the 80,000 that had originally been projected. On that particular day, shoulder to shoulder, an estimated 300,000 people crossed the bridge.
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