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Golden Gate Bridge
The
Golden Gate Bridge bracing the Golden Gate, the strait
linking the San Francisco bay with the Pacific Ocean, is
one of the longest and the most stunning bridges in the
entire world.
Naturally, this also makes it one of the most
photographed bridges in the world. Designed by Strauss
and Irving Morrow, this 1.7 mile suspension bridge can
be accessed by foot, bicycles and cars. The bridge is
flanked by parking as well as viewing areas for
convenience.
The
Golden Gate Bridge was completed after considerable time
and expense; four years and an expenditure close to $35
million. The bridge had a grand opening on 28th May,
1937 with President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushing a
telegraph key to kick start vehicle traffic over the
bridge. The design of the bridge is based on an Art Deco
Theme. The towers linking the suspension cables of the
bridge are smaller, higher up than at the bottom, in
order to highlight the tower altitude of 500 feet above
the road level. The much adored color of the bridge is
officially called international orange.
It was
suitably picked by Irving Marrow to match the
surroundings and to enhance visibility in foggy
conditions.
The
main suspension span of the bridge which is 4200 foot
long made it the longest suspension bridge span for 27
years. Now, even though eight more bridges have longer
span lengths, the Golden Gate Bridge still occupies the
second position in the United States. It has also been
inducted in the modern wonders of the world as per the
American Society of Engineers. The two 746 feet tall
towers of the bridge surpass the Washington monument by
191 feet. The bridge has five lanes, three of them
leading into San Francisco in the morning and three
exiting the city in the afternoon and evening. Toll is
charged on the way into the city.
The
Marin Headlands side of the Golden Gate Bridge is the
perfect place to click photographs. This side offers
panoramic views of Golden Gate Park, the twin peaks,
Alcatraz Island, the Bay Bridge and more. You can also
glimpse the numerous sailboats and freighters gliding
below the bridge. Towards the south end of the bridge
lies Fort Point, a National Historic monument since 16th
October, 1970. This ancient structure was constructed
out of brick during 1853-1861 for the purpose of
protecting San Francisco from an attack via sea. Fort
Point served as a platform for the building operations
of the Golden Gate Bridge. In store for you is a
scintillating view of the Fort Point Lighthouse from the
roof of the Fort Point. This was only the second
lighthouse to be built in California.
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