The Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco’s Historic Suspension Bridge

Every day, more than 110,000 automobiles cross a historic and beautiful bridge in northern California.

The span is called the Golden Gate Bridge. It is named after the body of water below it. The Golden Gate Strait connects the Pacific Ocean with San Francisco Bay. The bridge links the city of San Francisco with Marin County to the north.

Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge. Building began in 1933. The bridge was opened for use in 1937. The distance between the main towers is almost 1,300 meters long. That was the longest suspension bridge span in the world for almost thirty years. Then, in 1964, the larger Verrazano Narrows bridge opened in New York City. Today, the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan has the longest span.

Strauss used newly developed protective equipment for the men who worked on the bridge. These included a special safety net under the bridge. But still, 11 workers fell to their deaths during the building project.

The color of the bridge, international orange, is very important. It was chosen partly because it is easier to see through the heavy fog that often covers San Francisco. Many people consider the Golden Gate Bridge the most beautiful bridge of its kind in the world.

More than 2 billion vehicles have crossed the bridge since its opening. But wheels are not the only way to cross the bridge. The Golden Gate is also open to walkers. Many people walk across each year and there is no cost to do so. On clear days, the bridge provides excellent views of San Francisco, ships down below and birds all around.

Strauss wrote a poem about his bridge when the work was completed. Here is part of “The Mighty Task is Done.”

“At last the mighty task is done;

Resplendent in the western sun

The Bridge looms mountain high;

Its titan piers grip ocean floor,

Its great steel arms link shore with shore,

Its towers pierce the sky.”

I’m Caty Weaver.

This report was written by VOA Learning English.

tower –n. a structure that is much taller than it is wide

span –n. the distance between supports in a structure, especially in bridges

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