The Golden Gate Bridge is located in San Francisco and when it was finished in 1937, it was at one time the longest suspension bridge in the world. Today, it no longer holds that title – that belongs to a bridge in Turkey.
We list all the record holding suspension bridges that are still in existance today. Jimmy and Jean have been on 7 of the 17! How many have you been on?
The bridge was built by a team lead by Joseph B. Strauss, and would have to cover a mile of water. By the time the bridge was finished if you factor in the approaches to the bridge, it spans 1.7 miles.
Not everyone supported the construction of the bridge. For one, it was going to be costly – 25 Million to be exact.
A Ferry company aptly named Golden Gate Ferries didn’t want the bridge to be built either. After all, how many people would need a ferry if there was a bridge they could cross instead?
It took almost a decade to garner the support Strauss needed to build the bridge. Construction began on January 5, 1933.
Built during the Great Depression, workers were paid $11 dollars a day. This was good pay for 1933 and the jobs were highly coveted. There had been calls for a long time to try to build a bridge to connect San Francisco to Marin County especially as the population grew.
There were a number of challenges to building the bridge, learn all about the project of one of the United States' and the world's most iconic bridges in our podcast!
There is always more to learn!
-Jimmy and Jean
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