Golden Gate Bridge Opens
The Golden Gate Bridge opened in San Francisco after four years of construction
May 27, 1937
The Bridge That Could Not Be Built
When the Golden Gate Bridge opened on May 27, 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 4,200 feet (1,280 meters) and towers rising 746 feet above the water. Many engineers had declared it impossible to build across the Golden Gate strait — the entrance to San Francisco Bay — due to strong currents, high winds, frequent fog, and the depth of the water. Chief engineer Joseph Strauss proved the skeptics wrong. Construction began in January 1933 during the Great Depression and employed thousands of workers at a time when jobs were desperately scarce.
Building Across the Bay
The Golden Gate Bridge was built with remarkable safety standards for the era. A large safety net was suspended beneath the entire length of the bridge during construction — the first such precaution on a major bridge project. It saved 19 men who fell during construction, who became known as the "Halfway to Hell Club." Eleven men did die, mostly in a single accident when scaffolding collapsed into the net. The bridge's distinctive International Orange color was chosen to enhance visibility in fog — a purely practical decision that also created one of the most beautiful color choices in architectural history.
An Enduring Icon
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed structures in the world and a symbol of American engineering ambition. It carried automobile traffic from day one and remains one of the busiest bridges in the United States, handling tens of millions of vehicle crossings per year. Pedestrians and cyclists can cross on the bridge's sidewalks. Its construction during the Depression made it a symbol of hope and resilience as much as engineering. The bridge that "could not be built" became the bridge that defines San Francisco — and remains one of the most recognizable structures on Earth.