The Golden Gate Bridge, California
Building a bridge across the Golden Gate seemed like madness in 1933. The location killed ships regularly, and experts warned that construction would be a death trap.
But for four brutal years, crews fought the elements to prove them wrong. This is how they pulled off one of engineering’s victories.
How Engineers Conquered The Impossible Strait
The Golden Gate strait was a huge challenge for bridge builders. Water rushed through at 7.5 knots. The water was 372 feet deep in the middle.
The San Andreas Fault runs just 7 miles from the bridge.
Experts said no bridge could handle these conditions. The Southern Pacific Railroad fought against building the bridge to protect their ferry business.
A.P. Giannini, who started Bank of America, saved the project in 1932. He bought all the bonds when no one else would during the Depression.
Blasting Into The Ocean Floor
Workers had to build the south pier 1,125 feet from shore in rough water. Divers could only work for 20 minutes at a time in the dark, 65-foot deep water.
The crew used six 200-pound dynamite bombs to make holes in the rock below.
Engineers built a huge concrete circle around the work area. This “giant bathtub” let workers pump out millions of gallons of water so they could reach the bare rock below.
When A Ship Crashed Into The Bridge
A cargo ship hit the work platform on August 14, 1933. Thick fog made it almost impossible to see.
The crash badly damaged the temporary structure used to move building materials.
This accident delayed construction by five months. Later that year, winter storms caused even more damage to the partly rebuilt platform.
Bridge designers had planned for bad weather, including strong winds and storms. After these problems, workers created new safety rules for foggy days.
The Towers That Swayed During An Earthquake
Workers finished the north tower in 1934 and the south tower in 1935. Each steel tower stood 746 feet above the water.
An earthquake hit while men were working on the south tower in June 1935.
Worker Albert “Frenchy” Gales said the tower swayed 16 feet each way. Twelve men were trapped on top because the elevator stopped working.
The men lay flat as the tower swayed toward the ocean, then back toward the bay.
Spinning A Web Across The Golden Gate
Cable work began in October 1935 after both towers were ready. This step connected the huge steel towers.
The Roebling company, who built the Brooklyn Bridge, handled this special job.
They bundled thin steel wires together. Each wire was thinner than a pencil.
The project used 80,000 miles of wire—enough to go around Earth three times. Workers used color codes to keep track of six wires spinning across at once.
Record-Breaking Speed In Cable Construction
The Roebling company had 14 months to finish the cables but did it in just over 6 months.
They created a halfway point on the bridge to speed up the work.
This system let workers travel just halfway across before swapping loads with workers from the other side.
Each finished cable had more than 25,000 wires stretching 7,650 feet. These cables were over 3 feet thick and weighed 12,000 tons each.
Stringent Safety Measures For Workers
Joseph Strauss created safety rules much better than normal for the 1930s. He refused to accept the common idea that one worker would die for each million dollars spent.
The Golden Gate was the first American construction site to require hard hats.
Workers got special goggles to protect their eyes from sun glare. They used special cream to protect their skin from the constant wind.
Strauss even gave workers supplements to prevent dizziness at great heights. Anyone breaking safety rules lost their job immediately.
The Innovative Safety Net That Saved Lives
Strauss spent $130,000 on a safety net hung under the bridge. This new safety feature covered the entire length.
Workers put up the net in June 1936 as they began building the roadway.
The net saved 19 falling workers during construction. These survivors formed a group called the “Halfway to Hell Club.”
This safety net helped workers feel safer. Men did dangerous high-up tasks knowing the net would catch them if they fell.
The Catastrophic Scaffold Collapse
Tragedy struck on February 17, 1937, just months before the bridge opened. A scaffold with weak bolts broke free with twelve men on it.
The heavy platform fell toward the safety net below.
The scaffold tore through the net and fell 220 feet into the cold ocean. 11 men died in this one accident.
The Final Push To Completion
Workers finished the roadway on April 19, 1937. The whole project took just over four years.
The bridge opened to walkers on May 27, 1937.
About 200,000 people crossed on opening day. People walked, ran, roller skated, and did stunts on the new bridge.
The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a telegraph message to announce the opening. Cars began crossing on May 28, 1937.
Visiting the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco and Marin County. The bridge is open to cars 24 hours a day, with tolls collected only southbound into San Francisco.
You can walk or bike on the east sidewalk from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily. The west sidewalk is open to cyclists only on weekdays from 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
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