Talk:Golden Gate Bridge

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Golden Gate Bridge article.
This is not a forum for general discussion of the article's subject. Put new text under old text. Click here to start a new topic. Please sign and date your posts by typing four tildes (`~~~~`). New to Wikipedia? Welcome! Ask questions, get answers.	Be polite, and welcoming to new users Assume good faith Do not attack other users For disputes, please see our guideline	Article policies No original research Neutral point of view Verifiability

Untitled[change source]

Golden Gate Bridge From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search Golden Gate Bridge

Carries 6 lanes of US 101/CA 1, people and bicycles Crosses Golden Gate Strait Locale San Francisco, California and Marin County, California Maintained by Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District[1] Characteristics Design Suspension, truss arch & truss causeways Total length 1.7 mi (2.7 km) or 8,981 ft (2,737.4 m)[2] Width 90 ft (27.4 m) Height 746 ft (227.4 m) Longest span 4,200 ft (1,280.2 m)[3] Clearance above 14 ft (4.3 m) at toll gates, higher trucks possible Clearance below 220 ft (67.1 m) at mean high water History Designer Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow, and Charles Ellis Opened May 27, 1937 Statistics Daily traffic 118,000[4] Toll Cars (southbound only) $6.00 (cash), $5.00 (FasTrak), $3.00 (carpools during peak hours, FasTrak only)

San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses over the San Francisco Bay, going from San Francisco to Marin County, in the U.S. state of California. It was opened for use in 1937. When the bridge was finished, its length of 9,266 ft (2824 m) made it the longest bridge in the world. Now there are several bridges that are longer, but for many people, it is still one of the most beautiful bridges in the world.

Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Construction 3 Today 4 References

History[change | change source] Before the bridge, the only way to go north from San Francisco to Marin County was by ferryboat. The trip by ferry took 20 minutes to complete. Before the bridge was built, San Francisco was the biggest American city still served mostly by ferries. Some experts did not think that people could build a bridge because the water currents between Marin and San Francisco were very strong. Also, the water was very deep in the middle - 102 m - and there was a lot of wind and fog that could make building a bridge difficult. In 1916, San Francisco's city engineer asked other engineers to offer ideas for a bridge. One man, Joseph Strauss, designed a very cheap bridge - only $17 million, but many thought it was ugly. Local authorities asked him to change the design and to work with other experts. He agreed. He and other experts, especially architect Irving Morrow, designed the bridge again, this time as a suspension bridge. A suspension bridge has tall towers that hold long cables, and the cables hold up or "suspend" the bridge. The bridge is called the Golden Gate Bridge because it crosses the Golden Gate Strait, the area of water between the San Francisco peninsula and the Marin County peninsula. In 1930, people in San Francisco and Marin County agreed that the local governments could sell bonds to the public to raise money for the bridge. The new bridge was going to cost $30.1 million. But it was difficult for the governments to sell the bonds at the time because of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Finally, the Bank of America, which was based in San Francisco, agreed to buy all the bonds to help the local economy. Construction[change | change source]

The Golden Gate Bridge Construction began on January 5, 1933 and was finished in April 1937. Eleven men died during the construction, so the builders put a net under the bridge for the safety of the builders. Nineteen men were saved by the net. When they finished the bridge, they painted it with a reddish-orange sealant, a type of paint that protects the bridge from water and humidity. People liked the color because it looked good with the bridge's surroundings and it was easy to see in the fog, so the bridge was officially painted with the color, called International Orange. Today[change | change source] People can cross the bridge in cars or motorcycles any time. During daylight hours, they can cross by bicycle or on foot. They can not cross the bridge on roller skates, skateboards, or mopeds. When the bridge opened, drivers had to pay 50 cents to cross the bridge in either direction. Today, when drivers go north on the bridge (leaving San Francisco) they do not have to pay, but starting on September 2, 2008, when going south (entering San Francisco), they have to pay $6 if they pay cash or $5 if they buy a Fastrak pass. People often jump off the bridge to commit suicide (kill themselves). They fall 75 meters and most of them die when they hit the water. Over 1300 people committed suicide by jumping off the bridge.[5]