Golden Gate Bridge by René Roos

About "Golden Gate Bridge"

by René Roos

About the artwork

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Golden Gate strait, the opening of San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. The bridge is part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 and connects the San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County north of metropolitan San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognisable symbols of San Francisco and the state of California. The American Society of Civil Engineers declared the bridge one of the seven modern wonders of the world.

The bridge was designed by American engineer Joseph B. Strauss. Construction was completed in about four years and cost about $35 million. The Golden Gate Bridge was festively opened on 27 May 1937.

Before the bridge was built, the only way to cross the bay was by ferry. A crossing by this ferry took 20 minutes. Many experts thought it was not possible to build a bridge across this bay because of the strong currents. Moreover, the water in the middle was 102 metres deep.

In 1916, San Francisco's city engineer asked other engineers for ideas for a bridge. Joseph Strauss had designed a cheap bridge costing $17 million, but many people did not agree with its appearance. Strauss was asked to work with other experts to design a better look for his bridge. Together with Irving Morrow, he created a better design for the bridge, this time a suspension bridge.

In 1930, the people of San Francisco and Marin County agreed to build the bridge. Due to the 1929 stock market crash, the government could not finance the construction, eventually Bank of America (based in San Francisco) financed the bridge.