Open Up That Golden Gate - May 28, 2007

 

It's one of the most photographed things on Earth and instantly identifies San Francisco, so as we note its 70th anniversary, here are nine things you might not know about the Golden Gate Bridge.

It isn't gold at all; it's International Orange. (Pantone number c0362c.) Naval engineers originally wanted it painted in yellow and black stripes to make it more visible in the fog. It was opened to automobiles when President Franklin Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House. On its 50th anniversary, so many people crowded onto it that the span actually flattened. It is estimated that someone jumps off of the Bridge every 15 days, almost always facing the city. The Bridge's main cables each contain 25,572 separate wires and weigh 11,000 tons. The concrete used in the construction could build two 10-foot-wide sidewalks from Chicago to Omaha. High winds have closed the Bridge three times. Each day, tidal flows send 390 billion gallons of water in motion under the Bridge. Suggested Sites... Golden Gate Bridge - live webcams, traffic reports, and news and history about California's most famous bridge. American Experience: Golden Gate Bridge- PBS documentary about the building of the Bridge. Wikipedia: Golden Gate Bridge - info and fun facts. The New Yorker: "Jumpers" - the fatal grandeur of the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco Chronicle: "Lethal Beauty" - examines the darker side of the Golden Gate Bridge.