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Photos of the Building of the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge, situated in the San Francisco Bay, is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. With its bright red color, and its dazzling height, it’s only of the most iconic symbols of San Francisco.
For decades, a ferry service was used to shuttle people from San Francisco across the bay to what is now Marin County. The trip would take 27 minutes one-way. This eventually led to the demand to build a bridge connecting the two areas of land.
In 1916, a proposal finally took hold. The original quote of how much the bridge would cost was $100 million (equivalent to $2.8 billion in 2023. An offer went out to bridge engineers to see if anyone could do it for less.
Engineer Joseph Strauss answered the call. There were many early proposed versions of how the bridge should be constructed. They eventually landed on the idea of a suspension-bridge.
Construction finally began on January 5, 1933. It was even completed ahead of schedule and $1.3 million under budget (equivalent to $28.9 million today).
The bridge construction was completed in just a few years and opened on May 27, 1937. It spans almost a mile in length and stands at a towering 746 feet tall.
It is still used daily by San Francisco commuters and visitors alike and serves as a huge tourist attraction. Let’s take a look at the incredible process of building such a huge and iconic bridge.
Mid-construction
The Marin Tower at the beginning of construction
One of the catwalks being built to aid in construction
The cables up without the platforms
Installing the floor structuresCredit: The Bancroft Library
The foundation being built
An early bridge design option submitted by Strauss in 1921.
Construction workers working on the tower
Working on the connecting cables high above the water
A worker walking down the steep catwalk
Credit: Bancroft Library
Before any platforms were connected
The underside of the piece of the main platform
Pre-made pieces of the tower being shipped in
A process called cable spinningCredit: The Bancroft Library
The giant cables tied together
Credit: Bancroft Library
The first cables that were installed
Marin Pier and TowerCredit: The Bancroft Library
A safety net for the workers
Two workers on top of Marin Tower
Workers loading explosives before lowering into the sea floor
Workers had to dive and work underwater to get the tower legs built
A worker with a maskCredit: The Bancroft Library
Raising a flag in celebration of completion of the Marin Tower
An inspection tour
A firework show celebrating the completion of the bridge’s construction
The celebrations were giant, complete with military flyovers
San Francisco residents were allowed on the bridge before it was opened to vehicle traffic
Press vehicles were allowed after the pedestrians were able to walk over
Morning commute over the completed bridge
References
The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/05/26/the-construction-of-the-golden-gate-bridge/
Golden Gate Bridge: Building a San Francisco icon, in photos. https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/news/golden-gate-bridge
The History of the Design and Construction of the Bridge. https://www.goldengate.org/exhibits/the-history-of-the-design-and-construction-of-the-bridge
Stunning Photos from a 1039 Climb on the Golden Gate Bridge. https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2021/visuals/golden-gate-bridge-1936/The post Photos of the Building of the Golden Gate Bridge first appeared on History Defined.
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