Was the Golden Gate Bridge a success?

The Golden Gate Bridge opened May 27, 1937 when more than 200,000 pedestrians crowded the roadway before vehicle traffic opened the next day. It was an instant financial, transportation, economic and engineering success, and maybe a little too successful.



People Also Ask

Upon its completion in 1937, it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge came to be recognized as a symbol of the power and progress of the United States, and it set a precedent for suspension-bridge design around the world.

MORE DETAILS

Acclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful bridges, there are many different elements to the Golden Gate Bridge that make it unique. With its tremendous towers, sweeping cables, and great span, the Bridge is a sensory beauty and engineering wonder featuring color, sound and light.

MORE DETAILS

As such, the Golden Gate Bridge became known as 'the bridge that couldn't be built'. This was due to the complex challenges presented by the strait: strong tides, wind, fog and the San Andreas Fault located just 7 miles offshore.

MORE DETAILS

Since it opened on May 27, 1937, there have been an estimated 1,600 deaths in which the body was recovered, and many more unconfirmed.

MORE DETAILS

The U.S. War Department, which owned the land on both shores of the Gate, was equally opposed to the bridge, fearing construction would interfere with military operations and that, once completed, the bridge might be blown up by enemies and obstruct the harbor.

MORE DETAILS

More interesting facts about the Golden Gate Bridge: It's the most photographed bridge in the world. The bridge is constantly being painted to maintain its vibrancy. Its International Orange color is made by Sherwin Williams.

MORE DETAILS

The Golden Gate Bridge is closely monitored to make sure it does not exceed its stress limits due to traffic, wind and seismic loads. We can look forward to at least another 80 years of this engineering masterpiece.

MORE DETAILS

With the earlier phases of the retrofit complete, the bridge can safely withstand an earthquake over 7.0 in magnitude, but it may experience damage that requires closure after a major seismic event.

MORE DETAILS

Do you know why the Golden Gate Bridge has its iconic name? The answer might surprise you. Rather than being named for the area's association with the Gold Rush, it's actually named for the water that runs beneath it—The Golden Gate Strait.

MORE DETAILS

With great fanfare, people from all over the world came to pay homage to the Bridge, become part of a historical celebration and create lifelong memories. The day began as “Bridgewalk '87” reenacted “Pedestrian Day '37” and an estimated 300,000 people surged onto the roadway.

MORE DETAILS

Donald Bryan, a sprinter from San Francisco Junior College, was the first person to cross the entire span. Carmen Perez and her sister Minnie were the first people to roller-skate across. Florentine Calegari was the first person to cross over the bridge on stilts -- both ways.

MORE DETAILS

Underneath the Golden Gate Bridge lies the wreck of the City of Chester, a steamboat that sank on August 22, 1890 at 10 a.m. The boat was impaled on the steamer Oceanic, arriving from Asia, and sunk in six minutes.

MORE DETAILS

Especially in the warmer months, and during the afternoon hours, a strong breeze often blows in through the Golden Gate. TOUR BOATS - These boats can be seen cruising around Alcatraz Island and sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge before turning back, giving passengers a unique view of the Bridge.

MORE DETAILS

Olson has noted that the Golden Gate is a particularly lethal means of killing oneself: While the average survival rate of bridge deaths is 15%, only 4% of people who jump from the Golden Gate survive.

MORE DETAILS

On May 27, 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was opened to the public for the first time for “Pedestrian Day,” marking the start of the weeklong “Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta” held to celebrate its completion. More than 200,000 people paid twenty-five cents each to walk the bridge.

MORE DETAILS

The reason why the Golden Gate bridge is red is because it was purposely painted red in the 1930s to increase safety and visibility of the structure. The name “golden” came from its yellowish-orange color when seen from a distance but this has faded over the years.

MORE DETAILS

The U.S. War Department, which owned the land on both shores of the Gate, was equally opposed to the bridge, fearing construction would interfere with military operations and that, once completed, the bridge might be blown up by enemies and obstruct the harbor.

MORE DETAILS