See Dizzying Photos of the Golden Gate Bridge Under Construction

2 minute read

San Francisco was always bound in by water. But, as the city grew, that geography became more of a problem. The idea of a bridge across the Golden Gate strait had been discussed since the 19th century, but the project was considered impossible.

One person who disagreed was engineer Joseph Baermann Strauss. In 1919, he said he could make such a bridge. Nearly two decades passed before his vision became reality.

A special tax district had to be created because the bridge would affect people in multiple counties. Ferry companies lobbied against it. The War Department worried that it would be a target for attacks. Nearby residents worried it would ruin the view. The bridge had to be able to handle strong winds, extreme changes in temperature and tide, and the possibility of an earthquake. And, of course, it would be expensive.

So it was that construction did not begin until 1933. It was in 1935 that an architect on the project proposed it be painted an orange color that would go well with its surroundings. The two sides of the bridge met in the middle in 1936. Eleven workers lost their lives during construction, all but one of them in a single accident shortly before the bridge opened.

When finished, the main span was 4,200 feet long. At the time that was the world’s longest suspension span.

On May 27, 1937, San Franciscans celebrated as nearly 180,000 people crossed the bridge by foot. It opened to cars the next day. The Golden Gate Bridge was, TIME noted the following week, “the world’s greatest” bridge “by practically every measurement.”

Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
Workers install the first section of a huge safety net, at a cost of $98,000, that will extend from shore to shore beneath the Golden Gate Bridge span during construction of the bridge in San Francisco, Ca., Sept. 2, 1935. AP Photo
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
Golden Gate bridge, in the San Francisco Bay during its construction, Oct. 1935. AFP—Getty Images
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
Workers complete the catwalks for the Golden Gate Bridge, spanning the Golden Gate Strait, prior to spinning the bridge cables during construction in San Francisco, Ca., Oct. 25, 1935. AP Photo
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
Workmen assist the derrick operator, chief engineer Joseph Strauss, in joining the center of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Ca., Nov. 18, 1936. AP Photo
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
Workers on the catwalks bundling the cables during the construction of the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, circa 1936. Underwood Archives—Getty Images
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
Fishermen on Baker Beach enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction, San Francisco, California, 1930s.Underwood Archives—Getty Images
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
The nearly completed Golden Gate Bridge as seen from the Presidio with the Marin Headlands in the background, San Francisco, California, May 1937. Underwood Archives—Getty Images
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
Press cars going across the about to be opened new Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, May 24, 1937. Underwood Archives—Getty Images
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
A view taken from one of the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge of pedestrians swarming across immediately after the opening on May 27, 1937.AP Photo
Construction of the Golden Gate bridge in the 1930s.
The official grand opening celebration with klieg lights and fireworks of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, May 29, 1937. The opening ceremonies lasted a week. Underwood Archives—Getty Images

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Write to Lily Rothman at lily.rothman@time.com