It’s one of those things, you arrive in SF, you know you’re going to be here for a while, so there’s no rush to go and see the bridge. And before you know it, it’s seven months later and you’re about to leave in less than a month. Thought it was therefore a good time to go and check it out from a little closer, for the first time.
Here are some quick facts about the bridge:
– It’s 2.7km (1.7 miles) long
– Built between 1933 and 1937
– Costs you about $5 to cross
– Daily traffic is 110000 vehicles
– 38 painters maintain the bridge
– One of the most popular places for suicide
A fun fact is that the military wanted to paint the Golden Gate Bridge in stripes because of visibility reasons.
Another interesting thing to know is that the bridge was not intended to be painted in gold-color. The term Golden Gate refers to the Golden Gate Strait which is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.
You can watch the opening of the Golden Gate bridge here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PldV0CXdBE
