[Figure 1] On May 28, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States was officially opened to traffic.
As early as the 1870s, some people in San Francisco were calling for a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait. Many of the city's leaders opposed the idea for a variety of reasons, such as cost, aesthetics, and even their desire to keep the booming business within the city.
[Figure 2] The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge has just begun, and the piers have not yet been built.
But by the 1920s, public opinion began to turn, and support for the construction of the cross-sea bridge became increasingly louder. In 1921, San Francisco city officials formed a committee to accept architectural designs and bids submitted by engineer Joseph Strauss. Over the next few years, Strauss and his assistants continued to refine the design, ultimately resulting in the bridge we see today.
[Picture 3] The Golden Gate Bridge is under construction. Two workers are working on the wooden deck.
On January 5, 1933, under the leadership of Strauss, the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge officially began. This is a dangerous and challenging job. First, workers had to dive more than 65 feet (20 meters) underwater and drill holes in bedrock to anchor the bridge and make it earthquake-resistant. San Francisco is in an earthquake-prone zone, so this is very important.
[Picture 4] The Golden Gate Bridge under construction has begun to install the bridge deck and suspension cables.
During the construction process, workers had to endure frequent storms and heavy fog, which would significantly reduce visibility. Even on a clear day, the sea below the bridge can still be rough. However, for workers, the greatest danger still comes from the narrow steel cables across the strait. Standing on it, if you are not careful, you will fall into the waves.
[Picture 5] Temporary sheds at the construction site on the north bank of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as construction workers.
Strauss was well aware of the dangers of this project. So, he required workers to wear hard hats during construction and ordered the construction of a safety net large enough to extend from one end of the bridge to the other. As a result, a total of 19 workers accidentally fell from the bridge during the construction process, but all of them were rescued by the safety net. After their brush with death, the men joked that they were the "Road to Hell Club." Despite this, 11 people died in various accidents during the four years of construction.
[Picture 6] Two workers are working on the Golden Gate Bridge, and their work clothes are greasy.
[Picture 7] A ship is passing under the Golden Gate Bridge under construction. Looking up, you can see that the bridge deck has not yet been paved.
[Picture 8] On the day the Golden Gate Bridge opened, an American man rode a tall horse and led the way across the Golden Gate Bridge.
[Picture 9] On the day when the Golden Gate Bridge was opened for pedestrians, the bridge was crowded with people who came to experience it, and the event was unprecedented.
In May 1937, the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge was finally successfully completed. May 27 is the first day the bridge officially opens. On this day, the bridge is only open to pedestrians. It is estimated that more than 200,000 San Francisco citizens accepted the invitation. They rushed to the bridge with excitement and reverence to see up close this majestic building that took four years to build. At the same time, they were able to appreciate their city from a new perspective.
[Figure 10] Looking down from a tower of the Golden Gate Bridge will make people with a fear of heights shudder.
After the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge, it became the largest single-span bridge in the world at that time, with a total length of 2,780 meters, of which the main bridge was 1,967.3 meters long and the main span was 1,280.2 meters. The two bridge towers are 228 meters above the water, and the bridge piers are 14 meters above the water.The bridge deck is two-way with six lanes, with a design speed of 60 kilometers per hour. The total project cost is approximately US$35.5 million. The bridge is orange-red and is nicknamed "International Orange".
[Picture 11] At the opening ceremony of the Golden Gate Bridge, a tree trunk sawing competition was also held on site.
[Picture 12] On the day the Golden Gate Bridge was officially opened to traffic, a U.S. Navy aircraft was passing over the Golden Gate Bridge.
On May 28, 1937, at 11 o'clock in the morning the day after pedestrian traffic, the Golden Gate Bridge held a grand opening ceremony. Dozens of U.S. Navy aircraft flew over the Golden Gate Bridge, followed by various naval ships Passing under the bridge include 3 aircraft carriers, 13 heavy cruisers, 6 light cruisers and 6 destroyers. At noon, President Roosevelt symbolically pressed a button at the White House and sent a telegraph signal to the Golden Gate Bridge to officially open to traffic. Cars on both ends of the bridge instantly became a steady stream.
[Picture 13] On the first day that the Golden Gate Bridge was officially opened to traffic, a steady stream of cars were passing through the approach bridge and onto the main bridge deck.
[Picture 14] On the first day when the Golden Gate Bridge was officially opened to traffic, cars driving off the bridge were blocked at the bridge end, and the police were trying to divert them.
The Golden Gate Bridge is a masterpiece in the world of suspension bridges and occupies an important position in the history of human bridges. When the Golden Gate Bridge was built, the American people were still in the midst of the unprecedented "Great Depression". This majestic steel behemoth not only became a new landmark of San Francisco, but also brought transportation convenience to the people of San Francisco. A symbol of hope and resilience. (Text/Things About World History)
