History of Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

The Golden Gate Bridge is a principle landmark of San Francisco and California. It is a 2,730 m long suspension bridge. Its longest span is 1,280m. It is one of the longest bridges in the United States. Before the Golden Gate Bridge, the ferry service, which began in 1868, was the primary mode of transportation for people to and from San Francisco.

The possibility of spanning the Golden Gate was first raised in 1872 by the railroad owner Charles Crocker, who naturally wanted to build a railroad bridge.

James Wilkins, editor of the San Francisco Call Bulletin, began a campaign that provided City Engineer Michael O’Shaughnessy to seek, nationwide, the opinion of engineers on the project.

The planning of constructions of the Golden Gate Bridge started in 1928. However its actual construction started in January, 1933. The bridge was completed after four and a half years in May, 1937, at a cost of some $35 million.

The grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge was celebrated with over 200, 000 people walking the length of the bridge on May 27, 1937. The occasion was followed up with the Golden Bridge Fiesta, which lasted a week.
History of Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco