But why is it that Karl has... Hi, I'm Cindy. It just seems to make sense that a city that prides itself on its quirky individualism would be home to a bridge that’s like no other. The Golden Gate Bridge has always been painted orange vermilion, deemed "International Orange. Thousands of people come to San Francisco each year simply to bask in awe of its soaring towers, its magnificent views, and its unmistakable color. The Golden Gate Bridge garners wide praise for its aesthetics. The bridge spans the Golden Gate Straight [sic]. This Bridge Will Not be Gray, written by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Tucker Nichols and out this month from McSweeneyâs, is the story of how the Golden Gate Bridge came to ⦠When we hear the words "Painted Ladies," we might imagine some kind of body-art festival, or perhaps classical portraits of... San Francisco is a gorgeous city that is often ensconced in fog. The Golden Gate Bridge is a unique and impressive structure that’s one of the most instantly recognizable icons in the world. Once a budget was accepted, and funds were raised, the four-year process of building the Golden Gate Bridge, overseen by chief engineer Joseph Strauss, went smoothly until its much-ballyhooed opening on May 27, 1937. Some experts did not think that people could build a bridge because the water currents between Marin and San Francisco were very strong. Bridge Features Getting Around Our mission is to provide safe and reliable operation of the Golden Gate Bridge and to provide transportation services for customers within the ⦠Its unprecedented size and scale, along with its grace of form and independence of conception, all call for unique and unconventional treatment from every point of view. But what exactly is that color? The steel used to construct the bridge had a surface coat of red lead primer that the bridge’s architectural team thought blended perfectly with the surrounding natural landscape and helped the bridge stand out in the fog. Here are a few other tidbits about the bridge’s color: One misconception is that the bridge’s color is gold; after all, it’s in the name! I'll leave the misused word, Freudian Slip on my part. It spans almost two miles across the Golden Gate, the narrow strait where San Francisco Bay opens to meet the Pacific Ocean. First of all, the official name of the color used on San Franciscoâs most famous landmark isnât redâitâs âInternational Orange.â (Still, it looks pretty red to us.) See more historic photos here. James Martin/CNET If you visit or live near the Golden Gate Bridge, you might ⦠Others, like me, have long mistaken it for red. As well, local ferry companies fiercely opposed a bridge that would seriously impact their business and profits, as ferries were the only way to cross the strait at the time. Let’s take a look at a colorful part of San Francisco history by going deeper into the bridge’s construction and how that crazy color came to be. This eye-catching color is also used by the Tokyo Tower in Japan and the 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal, which is affectionately known as “the Golden Gate Bridge’s twin sister.”. Morrow made his best case in 1935 when he presented a 29-page report on the reasonings for the color to the bridge’s board of directors. Or actually, it started around four decades earlier, in 1872, when railroad entrepreneur Charles Crocker called for a bridge to span the Golden Gate Strait, the 3-mile (5-kilometer) long stretch of water that connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The story of how the Golden Gate Bridge’s color came to be is tied to how the bridge itself came to be. Welcome to Bay Area Answers. The color came about thanks to Irving Morrow, the Golden Gate's consulting architect, who noticed the striking reddish-orange primer painted on some of the steel. Before the bridge, the only way to go north from San Francisco to Marin County was by ferryboat. Before Golden Gate Bridge was built, the shortest route between San Francisco and the Marin County was by ship. However, you can come close with some existing color codes. For information on sidewalk closures due to construction, visit goldengatebridge.org/bikesbridge/bikes.php. Maybe it’s the trippy color or the art deco design, but there’s something about the Golden Gate Bridge that screams, “San Francisco!” While other bridges might have more modern, innovative designs, none can match the Golden Gate Bridge’s mystique. Is it red? James H. Wilkins, a structural engineer and newspaper ⦠Neither is true, as the “gold” in “Golden Gate” is because the bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait, the 3-mile long and one-mile wide body of water that separates San Francisco from Marin County and connects the San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean. Time has told that their decision was perfect. Tonalc, LOL! Because it gets incredibly foggy in the area, many debated what color the bridge should be so... See full answer below. The reality is repainting all 10 million square feet of the bridge would take years, even with a large team of painters working non-stop. Recently she asked me why the iconic San Francisco bridge is called the Golden Gate bridge when it is painted red. That Golden Gate (over which the bridge crosses) got its name from the California gold rush of the mid- nineteenth century. The Golden Gate Bridge is both a symbolic work of art, and a path connecting two pieces of land that by nature would not be easily linked. It turns out that the color of the bridge has nothing to do with the name “Golden Gate,” which refers to the strait that enters the San Francisco Bay. Before the bridge was built, San Francisco was the biggest American city still served mostly by ferries. San Francisco on the South side and the Marin Headlands on ⦠Among San Francisco's most famous sights to see are the Painted Ladies. What has been thus played up in form should not be let down in color.”eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'bayareaanswers_com-banner-1','ezslot_8',105,'0','0'])); While locals might say that’s spoken like a true San Franciscan, his impassioned plea for creativity worked, and the rest, as they say, is history, as International Orange went from relative obscurity to one of the most recognizable paint colors in the world. " [The Golden Gate Bridge's] color that moves and molds itself into the great beauty and contours of the hill -â let me hope that the color will remain the red terracotta because it adds to the structural grace and because it adds to the great beauty and the colorful symphony of the hills â- and it is because of this structural simplicity that carries to you my message of admiration," Italian American ⦠The Bridge is actually named for the Golden Gate Strait, the narrow entrance between the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. Oh, and the color? But the reason that the bridge is named the Golden Gate Bridge is because itâs named after ⦠The result was the iconic International Orange that now distinguishes the Golden Gate Bridge from (almost) every other bridge in the world. They eventually gave approval but not without demanding that the bridge be painted in black and yellow stripes to improve its visibility. Check out our fully customized, personal tours of Los Angeles. The designers of the bridge chose the rusty red color believing it harmonized with the naturally ruddy geology that surrounds the bay, and made the bridge visible in the thick fog that the cities is often covered under. If you paint your bridge any other colour you'll see big ugly rust streaks as it Its steel cables are long enough to circle the Earth three times! While maintenance and touch-ups are done on a regular on-going basis, mostly to maintain the color and to protect it from wind and salt air, the bridge has not been fully repainted since the 1980s when a saltwater-resistant topcoat was applied. It all started in 1916. The trip by ferry took 20 minutes to complete. Another is that it has something to do with the 1849 California Gold Rush, which occurred 90 years before the bridge opened. You know this bridge because it also has a section that is double-decked. Golden Gate Bridge is, as Big T57 said, going north ⦠How Many Bridges Are in the San Francisco Bay Area? According to Frommer's Travel Guides, it's "possibly the most While it might not be the exact International Orange used to paint the bridge (that’s a special mixture formulated just for the bridge). This website is about the captivating Bay Area in the beautiful state of California, a place that everyone should visit at least once! Golden Gate Bridge is one of the landmarks of San Francisco and, until 1964, it was a bridge with longest suspension bridge main span in the world. Ever since I was little I have been a traveler at heart. The closest available off-the-shelf paint color is “Fireweed” (color code SW 6328). "It was painted that colour to blend in better with it's natural surroundings. This is a great question and one that I didnât know the answer too but resolved to find out. The Golden Gate Bridge is so named because of the span it covers. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'bayareaanswers_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',121,'0','0']));The story of the bridge’s color goes much deeper than that, and if the U.S. War Department had had their way, the bridge would have been painted in black and yellow stripes! How Long Does It Take to Walk Across the Golden Gate Bridge? The answer is somewhere in between. California, Private Tour california, explore california, golden gate bridge, Your email address will not be published. The military eventually gave its approval, but it wanted the bridge to be covered in garish stripes. Your email address will not be published. The team works almost continuously to maintain the bridge color; only rain keeps them from their duties. The Golden Gate is the strait connecting the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Upon its opening in 1937, it was both the tallest and the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 4,200 feet and a total height of 746 feet. The color of the bridge is international orange. Fortunately, more creative minds prevailed. How come the Golden Gate Bridge is red, not gold? The construction was also completed months ahead of schedule. The Golden Gate Bridge is painted red, but called Golden because of the sun. Given the chance for steady employment amid the Great Depress⦠More... Bay Area Answers is owned and operated by Rees Enterprises LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA. That Golden Gate (over which the bridge crosses) got its name from the California gold rush of the mid- nineteenth century. The 25 de Abril Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte 25 de Abril, 25th of April Bridge, Portuguese pronunciation: [Ëpõt(ɨ) ËvÄ©t i ËsÄ©ku ðɨ ÉËβɾiÉ«]) is a suspension bridge connecting the city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, to the municipality of Almada on the left (south) bank of the Tagus river. It was a cinch the magnificent new bridge spanning the strait would be named for it: the Golden Gate Bridge. Its steel cables are long enough to circle the Earth three times! But it wasn't until the early 20th century that the project gained traction as the area's population grew and traffic congestion at the ferry docks was becoming a serious issue. The paint formula for International Orange is no secret, and paint stores can easily mix it for you. So persistent and pervasive is the fog that the locals have even given it a friendly nickname - Karl. An icon of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Golden Gate Bridge is more than a means for drivers to cross between the city of San Francisco and Marin County to the north. If the US Navy had its way, the bridge might have been.. The Golden Gate is the strait connecting the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Why is it called the Golden Gate Bridge when its red? For San Francisco’s first time visitors, the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-see landmark. Painting the Bridge is an ongoing task and a primary maintenance job. While the bridge was being built, consulting architect Irving F. Morrow, who was also instrumental in coming up with the bridge’s lighting and signature art-deco design, noticed that steel imported from Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania was coated with a reddish-orange primer that protected it from corrosion. The bridge was painted an orange vermillion dubbed International Orange prior to its opening in 1937 because the color stands out against the spectacular backdrop of sea, land and seasonal fog. However, you can come close with some existing color codes. Rees Enterprises LLC participates in affiliate programs with other sites. Is it gold? Their fierce anti-bridge campaign would succeed for eight years until it became inevitable that a bridge would indeed be built across the Golden Gate Strait. Another myth of the Golden Gate Bridge is that it is regularly repainted to keep the color vivid. The Golden Gate Bridge is painted red, but called Golden because of the sun. The color is actually called 'international orange' - a variation on the color used now for many astronaut jumpsuits. Bay Area Answers Fun Fact: In order to better increase its visibility, the Golden Gate Bridge International Orange tone is slightly lighter than the standard International Orange. (that’s a special mixture formulated just for the bridge). Their fierce anti-bridge campaign would succeed for eight years until it became inevitable that a bridge would indeed be built across the Golden Gate Strait. The reality that the San Andreas Fault is only seven inland miles away also raised red flags. The name has nothing to do with the gold rush. As the Bridge was built, it eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'bayareaanswers_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_10',109,'0','0']));Buying paint for the Golden Gate Bridge is done through a competitive bidding process. While San Franciscans were enthusiastic about the prospect of a new bridge, opposition from many fronts, including the U.S. War Department, almost kept the bridge from being built at all. With towers soaring 746 feet/227 meters into the sky, its span arcing across the mouth of San Francisco Bay, and all of it painted bright red-orange, the Golden Gate Bridge is, quite simply, amazing. The Golden Gate bridge at sunrise April 16, 2012 This Month in Photo of the Day: Nature and Weather Photos My favorite photograph, captured on my last morning in San Francisco. San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is making eerie new sounds. The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, Californiaâthe northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsulaâto Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Downtown LA, Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory Tour. But convincing the U.S. Department of War and the bridge’s board of directors, the permitting agencies at the time, to make such an unusual color permanent would prove to be a challenge. The paint applied to the Bridgeâs steel protects it from the high salt content in the air which can cause the steel to corrode or rust. I enjoy visiting new places and revisiting some of the great locations that I have been to already. There are vista points on both north and south sides of the bridge with parking lots. The team then mixed paints to create the bridge’s signature color, officially known as “International Orange.”. An icon of the San Francisco Bay area, the Golden Gate Bridge holds its share of secrets. It's the Golden Gate. Actually, the Golden Gate Bridge is orange, not red. Pantone 180 (CYMK 19.4%, 77.9%, 79.6%, 3.6%). I think there's a tunnel with the Bay Bridge as well. True engineering and architectural wonder the biggest American city still served mostly by ferries you haven ’ t what. Actually named for the bridge spans the Golden Gate bridge, Your email address will not be published of Engineers! 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