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Spanning the Gate: The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge should never have been built. The waters at the ocean entrance to San Francisco Bay were too menacing; the Gate was too wide to be spanned by a suspension bridge; the costs of so ambitious a project were too high for an economy in the midst of Depression.
But impossible odds are fuel for the determination of a visionary engineer like Joseph Strauss, and danger is no more than a welcome companion to the steel-nerved bridgemen who willingly risk their lives to turn dreams such as his into reality.
In 1916, the long fight for the Golden Gate Bridge began. Twenty-one years later, in May 1937, the impossible dream was a dazzling reality. The intervening years were filled with drama, disappointment and accomplishment. The Golden Gate required the largest underwater foundation piers ever built, the tallest towers and the longest, thickest cables. What's more, the foundation had to be sunk in the violent, pounding waters of the open sea. But the first, and in many ways most difficult challenge, was convincing Bay Area counties to lend their support to a $35 million construction bond issue in an era of breadlines and rampant unemployment..an undertaking that lasted nearly four times as long as the actual construction.
But impossible odds are fuel for the determination of a visionary engineer like Joseph Strauss, and danger is no more than a welcome companion to the steel-nerved bridgemen who willingly risk their lives to turn dreams such as his into reality.
In 1916, the long fight for the Golden Gate Bridge began. Twenty-one years later, in May 1937, the impossible dream was a dazzling reality. The intervening years were filled with drama, disappointment and accomplishment. The Golden Gate required the largest underwater foundation piers ever built, the tallest towers and the longest, thickest cables. What's more, the foundation had to be sunk in the violent, pounding waters of the open sea. But the first, and in many ways most difficult challenge, was convincing Bay Area counties to lend their support to a $35 million construction bond issue in an era of breadlines and rampant unemployment..an undertaking that lasted nearly four times as long as the actual construction.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1986
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May 5, 2019
The building of the Golden Gate bridge is expertly and completely described, indeed documented, in text and photography in this outstanding book. The politics, financing, engineering, building, personal experiences, beauty and public reactions to the processes and outcome of this amazing project that still awes us today is manifested in the bridges story presented in “Spanning the Gate”.
To me what is especially remarkable is that the Golden Gate Bridge was completed within budget and on schedule. The bridge of unprecedented engineering, building and personal challenges was completed for $27,125,000 and with the inclusion of easement, engineering, and administrative costs totaled $35,000,000. The work was started in 1933 and finished in 1937. Consider that the project was done with 1930’s technology. Although we know that the cost was in 1937 dollars and would be tremendously greater today, it is still interesting to note that $35,000,000 is approximately the cost of the Mueller Report, or the yearly salary of a very good baseball player. Values have changed in many ways. Considering the politics, the costs and opportunity costs, and risks it makes me question whether or not the job could be done today. We know that many other exceptional bridges and buildings have been built and we even have been to the moon, and expect to some day send humans to Mars. But we also know that we are more and more restrained, restricted in our endeavors to do great things. Just consider improving United States Infrastructure, so talked about by our leaders. By the way, the Golden Gate roadway was completely replaced in 1982 for $52.5 million. The job was scheduled for 400 days and was completed in 401 days and the bridge remained open to traffic using two lanes through the duration of the project.
So, the Golden Gate Bridge was an exceptional undertaking in its own right and even more in comparison to other works in other times. This book is a tribute to all those who had the vision and the courage to make it happen and to give California and the country what we have today. I highly recommend this book to all…
To me what is especially remarkable is that the Golden Gate Bridge was completed within budget and on schedule. The bridge of unprecedented engineering, building and personal challenges was completed for $27,125,000 and with the inclusion of easement, engineering, and administrative costs totaled $35,000,000. The work was started in 1933 and finished in 1937. Consider that the project was done with 1930’s technology. Although we know that the cost was in 1937 dollars and would be tremendously greater today, it is still interesting to note that $35,000,000 is approximately the cost of the Mueller Report, or the yearly salary of a very good baseball player. Values have changed in many ways. Considering the politics, the costs and opportunity costs, and risks it makes me question whether or not the job could be done today. We know that many other exceptional bridges and buildings have been built and we even have been to the moon, and expect to some day send humans to Mars. But we also know that we are more and more restrained, restricted in our endeavors to do great things. Just consider improving United States Infrastructure, so talked about by our leaders. By the way, the Golden Gate roadway was completely replaced in 1982 for $52.5 million. The job was scheduled for 400 days and was completed in 401 days and the bridge remained open to traffic using two lanes through the duration of the project.
So, the Golden Gate Bridge was an exceptional undertaking in its own right and even more in comparison to other works in other times. This book is a tribute to all those who had the vision and the courage to make it happen and to give California and the country what we have today. I highly recommend this book to all…
Displaying 1 of 1 review