The 1.7 mile-long Golden Gate Bridge, at the end of its 52 months construction on April 19th, 1937, was considered the longest span suspension bridge in the world.
The Golden Gate Bridge, an engineering marvel then, held that record until New York City’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in 1964. And, as of 2019, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan boasts the world’s longest-span suspension bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge, which cost $35 million, is also considered the most photographed bridge in the world, and one of the major tourist attractions in the USA.
The bridge, towering as high as 65-storey building, connects the city of San Francisco to Marin County, California, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait.
This famous bridge, which attracts over 10 million visitors each year, is named after the Golden Gate Strait– the narrow, turbulent, 300-foot-deep stretch of water below the bridge that links the Pacific Ocean on the west to San Francisco Bay on the east.
Tourists can enjoy walking or take a 3-hour bike tour from San Francisco to Sausalito. A view of the bridge can also be enjoyed on a Jail and Sail Cruise complete with a visit to Alcatraz.
