Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge, bridge spanning the Golden Gate Strait, to the north of San Francisco, California, connecting the city with Marin County. The architectural design of the suspension bridge reflects the Art Deco style of the 1930s, when the bridge was built. It has been acclaimed as one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and is a principal landmark of both the city and the state.

Building a bridge across the strait was first discussed in 1872. However, construction only began in January 1933, working from a design drawn up by engineers Joseph B. Strauss and Leon Moisseiff, and the architects Irving and Gertrude Morrow. When the bridge was opened in May 1937 its main span of 1,280 m (4,200 ft) was the longest in the world, a record that it held until the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, New York, was completed in 1964. The distinctive orange vermillion paint that coats the Golden Gate Bridge is referred to as “International Orange.” Architect Irving Morrow chose the color to blend well with the bridge’s natural setting.

The bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait, which lies between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bridge’s total length is 2,737 m (8,981 ft), including approaches, with a total suspension span length of 1,966 m (6,450 ft). It supports six lanes of traffic, as well as pedestrian walkways. Each tower rises 227 m (746 ft) above the water and contains approximately 600,000 rivets. A 1994 estimate of the bridge’s total weight was put at 887,000 tons.

The structure withstood the effects of the 1989 earthquake, which measured 7.1 on the Richter scale and was the most destructive quake to hit the Bay Area since 1906. In 1987 nearly 300,000 people crossed the bridge to celebrate its 50th anniversary.