⚓ THE GATE ⚓

A Meditation on International Orange and the Bridge That Could Not Be Built

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      ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
         ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  THE GOLDEN GATE  ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
            ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

History of the Golden Gate Bridge

From impossible dream to beloved landmark.

Timeline

1869
The 'Golden Gate' name first used by John C. Frémont for the strait

1916
James Wilkins, San Francisco editor, proposes a bridge across the Gate

1921
Joseph Strauss submits first bridge design to the city

1923
Strauss revises design to elegant suspension bridge we know today

1929
Voters approve 5 million bond measure during Great Depression

1933
January 5 - Construction begins

1935
Main cables completed—80,000 miles of wire

1937
April 19 - Last section of roadway riveted into place

1937
May 27 - Pedestrian Day, 200,000 people walk across

1937
May 28 - Opens to vehicle traffic at noon

1951
First toll collected by machine

1985
The billionth car crosses the bridge

1987
May 24 - 50th anniversary, 300,000 people on bridge simultaneously

1989
Survives Loma Prieta earthquake (magnitude 6.9)

2012
75th anniversary celebration

2013
All-electronic tolling begins

2026
89th anniversary - May 27

Opening Day: May 27, 1937

San Francisco declared a citywide holiday. At 6 AM, the toll gates swung open and eager pedestrians rushed onto the span. By day's end, 200,000 people had walked across.

"I saw the sunlight on it, coming through the fog, and it was like seeing God."

— A pedestrian, Opening Day

The next day, May 28, the bridge opened to vehicles. President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House. Every fire siren in San Francisco sounded. Every church bell rang. Ships blew their whistles. Foghorns bellowed.

The impossible bridge was open.

The "Impossible" Bridge

Why did people say it couldn't be built?

The strait: The Golden Gate is 1.7 miles wide with fierce currents, frequent fog, and winds up to 60 mph.
The depth: Water reaches 372 feet deep at the channel center.
The geology: The San Francisco side sits on serpentine rock; the Marin side on hard sandstone. Neither ideal.
The seismicity: The bridge lies near the San Andreas Fault. The 1906 earthquake was fresh in memory.
The opposition: The Southern Pacific Railroad ferry company, the U.S. War Department (worried about harbor obstruction), and many engineers who called it suicide.

Joseph Strauss answered them all. And the bridge stands.

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