Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco

Quite possibly one of the most famous bridges in theincreasing problem.The orange bridge, yes orange, is
world, the Golden Gate Bridge is by far the mostconsidered red, despite it's real color orange vermilion.
recognizable icon of San Francisco. Spanning over theAlso called "international orange" this color was chosen
San Francisco Bay, connecting the northern tip of theby an assistant architect for two reasons: 1) it blended
San Francisco peninsula to a portion of the southin nicely with the surrounding warm hues of the
facing headlands of Marin County by Sausalito. Whenlandscape amidst the cool hues of the bay and the
the Golden Gate bridge was completed in 1937, it wassky 2) it was a bold color to help with visibility for ships
the largest suspension bridge in the world. It nowbelow.Strauss and his crew began the construction of
stands in the number 2 position, behind thethe bridge in January 1933, and took just over four
Veranzo-Narrows bridge in New York City..Theyears to complete. Eleven men lost their lives in the
Golden Gate Bridge stands as a testament to thecontruction. Only one death had occured February 17,
human spirit and will. Due to the persistent fog, violent1937; when a scaffolding accident claimed the life of
winds, and strong ocean currents below, the Goldenten men all in one day. The cost to build the bridge
Gate has been called the "Bridge that couldn't be built."was over 35 million dollars. In today's world, the bridge
This San Francisco icon is now considered anwould cost approximately 1.2 billion dollars to construct.
engineering marvel of the 20th century.The need forThe bridge opened to vehicular traffic on May 28,
the bridge came about as the only other way to reach1937.Today the bridge stands stall in the San Francisco
travel through the Golden Gate Strait, was by ferry.Bay and is a favorite tourist attraction for millions of
Engineer and bridge-builder Joseph Strauss recognizedpeople every year.
the need for a bridge as ferry congestion became an