The narrow strait that divides the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean is known as the Golden Gate. In 1919 San Francisco City Engineer Michael O’Shaughnessy hired Chicago-based bridge engineer Jospeh Strauss to design a bridge that crossed this strait. Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge was delayed because of opposition from both the US Department of War (fearing a bridge would interfere with ship traffic) and the Southern Pacific Railroad (protecting their ferry service). Despite these objections and ensuing litigation, in May 1923 the California Legislature passed the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway Act of California, providing funding for its construction. But problems again arose after the 1929 Stock Market Crash when full funding could not be provided by the government. Strauss personally approached Bank of America president and founder Amadeo Giannini, who agreed to a $6 million loan.
Strauss oversaw both the overall design and construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Construction began in 1933, giving steady employment to many during the height of the Depression[1]. It took four years to build, with 11 casualties. After one worker fell to his death, a safety net was installed. While this net saved 19 workers, in 1937 a scaffold fell and tore through the safety net, killing 10 of the 12 workmen who were on the scaffold.
The Golden Gate Bridge was the first bridge to be supported in an open ocean. It was, when construction was completed, the longest (until 1981) and tallest (until 1993) bridge in the world. Architect Irving Morrow designed the art deco towers, street lamps and pedestrian walkways, and ultimately decided the bridge’s color – international orange – a different choice from the Navy’s suggestion of black and yellow stripes. 38 full-time painters continually touch up the paint. To avoid the demolition of Fort Point[2] (a historic military fortification built during the Gold Rush), Strauss designed a graceful steel arch directly over the fort.
The Golden Gate Bridge officially opened to vehicular traffic on May 28, 1937. The day before it was opened to pedestrians, and 200,000 people payed 25 cents each to cross the bridge on foot. In its early years, bikes shared the road with cars. My grandfather, William “Brand” Filmer, once rode his bike from San Francisco to Marin sometime in the early 1940s. While not afraid on the bridge itself, riding through the Waldo Tunnel (today known as the Robin Williams Tunnel) proved to be challenging. Lack of ventilation caused algae to cover the tunnel walls, and when he was pushed over into one of these walls he came home covered in green slime. Today cyclists share the walkways with pedestrians.
The bridge was constructed to withstand 68mph winds. In 1951, 1982 and 1983 the bridge was closed when wind speeds reached 69, 70 and 75mph. In 2019 a new sidewalk safety railing was installed on the bridge’s western side, allowing the bridge to now withstand winds up to 100mph. However, a year after the 12,000 slats were installed, San Franciscans began reporting a loud hum on windy days. The hum sounds like a mournful cry and, as with the two fog horns[3] located on the bridge, I find the sound soothing.
During the 50th anniversary celebration in May 1987, the bridge was once again opened to pedestrians. City officials did not anticipate that nearly 1,000,000 people would show up. As hundreds of thousands of people amassed on the bridge, the main span flattened and created concerns that the bridge would catastrophically fail. City officials directed everyone off the span, after-which the bridge remained temporarily closed as safety inspections were made.
Being such a recognizable landmark, the bridge has been the site of multiple stunts[4]. Unfortunately, the Golden Gate Bridge has also been the most used suicide site in the world. Out of the 1500 people who have jumped, only 26 are known to have survived. In April 2017 construction of a stainless steel net extending 20 feet out from the walkway began. Completion of this net is expected in 2023.
Today, the Golden Gate Bridge is officially part of Highways 101 and 1. An estimated 110,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day.
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[1] The Great Depression: story coming October 11th [2] Fort Point: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=3968 [3] Fog Horns: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4467 [4] Stunts on the Golden Gate Bridge: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4464
