The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of California. Initially designed by engineer Joseph Baermann Strauss in 1917, the Golden Gate Bridge links San Francisco and Marin County and spans the Golden Gate Strait, which separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.

Upon its completion in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world. It set a precedent for suspension-bridge design around the globe. Although other bridges have since surpassed it in size, it remains incomparable in its magnificence and is said to be the most photographed bridge in the world.

Until the 20th century, though, a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait was regarded as “the bridge that couldn’t be built” due to a number of complex challenges:  strong tides, wind, fog, and the San Andreas Fault located just 7 miles offshore.  But improvements in long-span bridge design changed that pessimistic projection.

While initial construction estimates clocked in at over $100 million, Strauss claimed that he could build the Golden Gate Bridge for far less than half that amount.  The bridge ended up being completed six months ahead of schedule and under budget—a rarity in today’s construction world. The bridge was completed in May 1937 at a cost of about $39 million, which equals about $500 million in today’s dollars.

The Bridge’s Design

Strauss’s initial concept for the Golden Gate Bridge was a symmetrical cantilever-suspension hybrid span with an estimated cost of $17 million. That design was discarded in favor of Leon S. Moisseiff’s plan for a suspension span capable of moving more than two feet laterally to withstand strong winds.

Irving F. Morrow conceptualized the art deco towers and later decided on a paint color he dubbed “International Orange.”

Charles Ellis worked out the complex engineering equations as the primary structural designer.  He was fired before construction began and thus didn’t receive proper credit until many years later.

The Construction Timeline

January 5, 1933:  Construction officially started.

February 1933:  Work began on the east approach road from San Francisco that extended through the Presidio to the south end of the bridge.

March 1933:  Steel for the San Francisco and Marin towers was brought by flatcar to Philadelphia, where it was transferred to barges and shipped through the Panama Canal to Alameda, CA.  It was stored there until the Marin pier was ready for tower erection.

March 1933 – March 1934:  The San Francisco tower access trestle was constructed, extending 1,100 feet offshore.  The trestle was significantly damaged on August 14, 1933, when a steamship crashed into the access trestle and then again on December 13, 1933, when a southwest gale battered the Golden Gate Strait for two days. Repairs were completed on March 8, 1934.

January 3, 1935:  The San Francisco pier reached its final height of 44 feet above the water.

August 2, 1935 – September 27, 1935:  The first wire cables were strung to support the footwalks (aka catwalks) constructed across the Golden Gate Strait in preparation for main cable spinning.

November 18, 1936: Two sections of the Bridge’s main span were joined in the middle.

January 19, 1937 – April 19, 1937:  Roadway completed.

Strauss Innovated Safety Along with Bridge Design

At a time when bridge-building generally cost the life of one workman for every million dollars spent, Strauss insisted on extensive safety precautions. In addition to wearing safety lines, there were a number of unprecedented safety measures:

  • Bullard hard hats — mining helmets specially modified by Edward W. Bullard, a local safety equipment manufacturer
  • Respirator masks for the riveters to prevent inhalation of lead-tainted fumes created when the hot rivets struck the lead paint of the towers
  • Glare-free goggles to enhance visibility and ward off “snow blindness” caused by the sun reflecting off the water
  • Special hand and face cream to protect against strafing winds
  • Carefully formulated diets to help fight dizziness
  • Sauerkraut juice “cures” for any men suffering from hangovers
  • An onsite field hospital staffed by doctors and set up near the Fort Point wharf
  • A safety net was suspended under the “floor” of the bridge during the construction of the roadway structure (the stiffening truss). The net, which cost $130,000, was suspended along the entire length of the span from pylon to pylon and extended 10 feet outside the trusses on both sides.

While the net saved the lives 19 bridge workers, 11 men still perished during the bridge’s construction when a section of scaffold fell through the safety net. The men are honored on a plaque located at the south side entrance to the west sidewalk.

How the Bridge Got Its Iconic Color

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, due in part to its orange vermilion color. But that color was not intentional. The bridge’s steel was coated in orange primer during construction to protect it from the weather.  While it was not meant to be permanent, Irving Morrow, another architect on the project, opined that the warm, orange tone suited the bridge’s location. As such, he suggested that the color, which he called “International Orange,” be permanent.