Golden Gate Bridge Postcards

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay onto the Pacific Ocean. As part of both US Highway 101 and State Route 1, it connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County.

Golden Gate Bridge Postcard 1

Construction began on 5 January 1933. The project cost over $26 million. The project was finished by April 1937, $1.3 million under budget. The Golden Gate Bridge had the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1937 and has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and California. Since its completion, the span length has been surpassed by eight other bridges. It still has the second longest suspension bridge main span in the United States, after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City.

Golden Gate Bridge Postcard 2(PH Wish from Janet Durfee)

The bridge has approximately 1,200,000 total rivets. Despite its red appearance, the color of the bridge is officially an orange vermilion called international orange. The color was selected by consulting architect Irving Morrow because it blends well with the natural surroundings yet enhances the bridge's visibility in fog.

The Golden Gate Bridge has a similar sister bridge in Lisbon, Portugal. The red-painted Ponte 25 de Abril (25th April Bridge) is 2,278 m (7,470 ft) spans 1,013 m (3,320 ft).

Design: Suspension, truss arch & truss causewaysLongest span: 4,200 feet (1,280 m)Total length: 8,981 feet (2,737 m)Width: 90 feet (27 m)Height: 746 feet (227 m)Vertical clearance: 14 feet (4.3 m) at toll gates, higher truck loads possibleClearance below: 220 feet (67 m) at mean higher high water

SOURCE:Golden Gate Bridge Wikipedia Entry