Halfway along the Pacific coast of California is a single strait, leading into the sheltered bay around San Francisco. Three miles long and a mile wide, the passageway, with its jagged coastline, treacherous tides and fog, eluded early explorers until it was first spotted in 1769 by the Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola. Today the strait is home to one of the most iconic and photographed structures in the world — the Golden Gate Bridge — constructed 75 years ago.

The single -span bridge with its soaring orange towers and massive, sweeping cables that bear its weight was once the world’s longest suspension bridge (now surpassed by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York and bridges in Denmark and Japan). Designed by Chicago engineer, Joseph Strauss, the bridge is named for the straits beneath it. In 1846  US Army Engineer, John Fremont, named the passage “Chrysopylae” of Golden Gate, because it reminded him of a waterway in Istanbul, Turkey, named Golden Horn, linking the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

Seventy-five years ago, if you wanted to travel north from San Francisco, you had two choices: you could take a ferry from the City to Marin County across the Bay, or you could drive 200 miles around the various bodies of water. The idea of constructing the bridge was considered a pipe dream. Strauss proved the naysayers wrong. Construction started in 1933 and finished in1937. In the process, 11 men lost their lives when they fell off the girders while another 19 survived, caught in the safety nets that hung alongside the bridge.

When the bridge was finally finished, Strauss expressed his relief and happiness in a poem that read in part, “At last the mighty task is done.” So what are some of the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the Golden Gate Bridge?

• The span is 4,200 feet long;
• It rises 629 feet above the water and was once the world’s tallest bridge;
• Each of the towers contains 21,500 tons of steel and weighs 44,000 tons;
• There are 600,000 rivets in each tower;
• Each of those cables consists of 27,572 tiny strands wrapped around each other;
• 80,000 miles of steel wire were needed to make the suspension cables;
• It is painted in “International Orange” because this is the color that was deemed to blend in best with the surroundings and because it makes the bridge visible through the fog;
• Painting and maintenance of the Bridge is an ongoing task performed by 55 dedicated workers;
• According to city statistics, 1,929,896,448 cars drove over the span between May 1937 and April 2011.

A trip to the Golden Gate Bridge is an exhilarating experience. Walk across the span from south to north, starting at the Visitors Center. On a sunny day, stunning views of San Francisco and beyond will open before you. On a foggy day, the sound of foghorns will provide a mournful accompaniment as you stand peering down into the rapidly flowing water where harbor porpoise are making a comeback.

You can drive, walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. Pedestrians are allowed on the east side of the span while bikes are allowed on both sides, although the bike paths are subject to closure. If you walk, be sure to dress warmly, the winds can be bracing. Don’t be surprised if you feel the bridge sway under your feet. It was constructed to withstand high winds and earthquakes and can sway as much as 27.5 feet from east to west and 16 feet vertically.

In addition to crossing the Bridge itself, there are stunning views of the structure from any angle. On the north side of the Bridge, visit Fort Baker (now home to Cavallo Point Resort and Spa) where you can enjoy a glass of wine from the porch at Farley’s Bar and watch the lights come on over the Bridge. For incomparable sunset photos of the Bridge and City, drive to the top of Hawk Hill and continue down the other side until you get to Point Bonita Lighthouse. On the south side of the Bridge, the entire stretch of the Bay from the Embarcadero to Crissy Field and Fort Point will provide unique vantages.

IF YOU GO
Visit www.goldengatebridge.org for the latest information about the Bridge.

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