The Golden Gate Bridge, the iconic orange structure that connects the city of San Francisco with Marin County, California, is to this day a symbol of the city and a magnet for its visitors.
After decades of calls to connect the burgeoning metropolis of San Francisco with its neighbors across the bay, city engineer Michael O’Shaughnessy in 1919 took it upon himself to find a bridge builder who could see the project through. in reasonable monetary terms. Joseph Strauss, who was based in Chicago, estimated that the project could be done on a budget of $25-30 million. In June 1921 he submitted his plans and in May 1923 the relevant law was passed which concerned the planning and financing of the construction of the bridge. By August 1925, residents of the surrounding areas had agreed to offer their homes and businesses as collateral to secure funds.
However, despite financial promises from the project’s backers, the whole venture would meet stiff resistance from business and political actors who believed the bridge would hinder the shipping industry and at the same time damage the bay’s natural beauty. After years of litigation, it was not until November 1930 that an ordinance was approved that authorized the issuance of $35 million in bonds to finance the project. However, the Bridge and Highway District construction company, in the midst of the Great Depression, needed additional funds. This additional support was eventually provided by Bank of America president Amadeo Giannini, who agreed to buy $6 million in bonds, giving the whole venture a major boost two years later.
Finally, construction of the bridge began on January 5, 1933, based on plans by Strauss’s team. Leon Mouassef was responsible for the design; Irving Morrow decided that the bridge’s towers should follow the Art Deco logic; he would also be responsible for the bridge’s trademark paint color – he had named it “International Orange”-, while Charles Ellis worked out the complex engineering equations required.
The workforce consisted of anyone able to withstand the harsh physical strain of the job: from farmers and white-collar workers, to taxi drivers and ordinary citizens. The construction, particularly difficult by its nature, would face additional problems due to weather phenomena, resulting in delays of many months. And while there was only one accident victim in four years of its construction, the picture would change in February 1937, when a scaffolding fell and tore the safety net, which had saved lives in the past, killing 10 workers.
The bridge was completed a few months later, on April 19, and officially opened to pedestrians on May 27. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt telegraphed from the White House that the bridge was open to cars.
The Golden Gate would remain the tallest bridge in the world (regardless of type) until 1993, for roughly the entirety of the 20th century.
Column editor: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poimenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
