--- title: Golden Gate Bridge at 80—Photos of a Landmark's Construction description: The majestic San Francisco bridge — which opened to the public on May 27, 1937 — was decades in the making. canonical: https://time.com/4789090/golden-gate-bridge-construction/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-26T14:30:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:50:20.882Z article:section: History og:title: Golden Gate Bridge at 80—Photos of a Landmark's Construction og:description: The majestic bridge was opened to the public on May 27, 1937 og:url: https://time.com/4789090/golden-gate-bridge-construction/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9e6a6fec004c0d7b/6988ce572dce015de89ed974/golden-gate-bridge-construction-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2405 og:image:height: 1353 og:image:alt: Golden Gate Bridge Construction og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Golden Gate Bridge at 80—Photos of a Landmark's Construction twitter:description: The majestic bridge was opened to the public on May 27, 1937 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9e6a6fec004c0d7b/6988ce572dce015de89ed974/golden-gate-bridge-construction-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See Dizzying Photos of the Golden Gate Bridge Under Construction > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) May 26, 2017 2:30 PM UTC  Fishermen on Baker Beach enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction, San Francisco, California, 1930s. Fishermen on Baker Beach enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction, San Francisco, California, 1930s. Underwood Archives—Getty Images by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) May 26, 2017 2:30 PM UTC 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](http://time.com/vault/issue/1936-04-06/page/39/) 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.](http://www.artandarchitecture-sf.com/joseph-b-strauss-golden-gate-bridge-engineer.html) In 1919, he said he could make such a bridge. [Nearly two decades](http://goldengatebridge.org/research/dates.php) 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](http://goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.php#PaintedIntnlOrange) 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](http://time.com/vault/issue/1937-03-01/page/36/) shortly before the bridge opened. When finished, the main span was 4,200 feet long. At the time that was the world’s [longest](http://goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.php#LongestSuspSpan) 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](http://time.com/vault/issue/1937-06-07/page/65/) the following week, “the world’s greatest” bridge “by practically every measurement.”  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  Golden Gate bridge, in the San Francisco Bay during its construction, Oct. 1935. AFP—Getty Images  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  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  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  Fishermen on Baker Beach enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction, San Francisco, California, 1930s. Underwood Archives—Getty Images  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  Press cars going across the about to be opened new Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, May 24, 1937. Underwood Archives—Getty Images  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  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. 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