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Golden Gate Bridge Walk — The checkable facts
Quick answer
The Golden Gate Bridge color is called International Orange, and the span has never been red. The shade arrived as the primer coat on steel shipped from the East Coast, and consulting architect Irving Morrow argued to keep it because it stands out against fog and water. The 4,200-foot main span opened on May 28, 1937 and held the world record for 27 years.
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| The main suspension span is 4,200 feet and was the longest in the world from 1937 | Golden Gate Bridge District — FAQs and statistics |
| Construction began in 1933 under chief engineer Joseph Strauss; the bridge opened in 1937 | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District — History and research |
| There are approximately 600,000 rivets in each tower | Golden Gate Bridge District — FAQs and statistics |
| The bridge is painted continuously by priority, not end to end on a cycle | Golden Gate Bridge District — Painting the Bridge |
| International Orange came from the primer on the delivered steel, which consulting architect Irving Morrow wanted kept | NPR — The Golden Gate Bridge's Accidental Color |
| The east sidewalk opens to pedestrians at 5am, closing at 9pm in daylight saving time and 6:30pm from November to March | Golden Gate Bridge District — Bikes and pedestrians |
| The bridge is 1.7 miles long | Golden Gate Bridge District — FAQs and statistics |
Frequently asked
What color is the bridge, exactly?
International Orange, a vermilion-leaning shade that reads warmer than red. It arrived by accident: the steel shipped from the East Coast wore an orange-red lead primer, and consulting architect Irving Morrow pushed to keep that tone instead of the grey the district expected or the black-and-yellow stripes the Navy wanted for visibility.
How long does it take to walk across?
The span measures 1.7 miles end to end, so a one-way crossing takes most people thirty to forty-five minutes, and about ninety minutes round trip with stops. The east sidewalk is the pedestrian side. Wind across the exposed middle third is usually stronger and colder than anyone expects, whatever the temperature onshore.
How was it built so quickly?
Work ran from January 5, 1933 to the opening on May 28, 1937, about 1,604 days. Strauss insisted on hard hats and strung a safety net beneath the deck, which caught nineteen men who called themselves the Halfway-to-Hell Club. Eleven workers still died, ten of them when a platform tore through the net.
Where do you get the classic photograph?
Battery Spencer, on the Marin side above the north tower, gives the head-on shot with the city behind it. Fort Point sits directly beneath the south end for the arch-and-waves angle. Crissy Field and Baker Beach give the long profile. In summer the fog usually clears in the afternoon, not the morning.
Sources
- Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District — History and research
- Golden Gate Bridge District — Painting the Bridge
- Golden Gate Bridge District — FAQs and statistics
- Golden Gate Bridge District — Bikes and pedestrians
- Wikipedia — Golden Gate Bridge
- NPR — The Golden Gate Bridge's Accidental Color
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