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The Golden Gate Bridge is a &#x2610; suspension &#x2610; bridge spanning the &#x2610; Golden Gate, the opening into the &#x2610; San Francisco Bay from the &#x2610; Pacific Ocean. It connects the city of &#x2610; San Francisco on the northern tip of the &#x2610; San Francisco Peninsula to &#x2610; Marin County as part of &#x2610; US Highway 101 and &#x2610; California State Highway 1.

The Golden Gate Bridge was the &#x2610; largest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1937 and has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and the &#x2610; United States. It is currently the second longest suspension bridge in the United States after the &#x2610; Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in &#x2610; New York City.

History
The crossing of the Golden Gate Strait was for many years accomplished by a ferry running between the &#x2610; Hyde Street Pier at the foot of Van Ness Avenue in &#x2610; San Francisco and &#x2610; Sausalito in &#x2610; Marin County. The idea of a bridge to span the Golden Gate Strait was brought up in an article by the engineer James Wilkins. The bridge later earned its name, Golden Gate Bridge, after a mention of it in 1917, by San Francisco city engineer &#x2610; M. M. O'Shaughnessy.

The bridge was the brainchild of &#x2610; Joseph Strauss, an engineer responsible for over 400 drawbridges, though they were far smaller than this project and mostly inland. Starting in &#x2610; 1921 with his first drawings that were far from approved, Strauss spent over a decade drumming up support in Northern California. Strauss' initial design comprised a massive &#x2610; cantilever on each side connected with a central suspension segment. Other key figures in the bridge's construction include architect &#x2610; Irving Morrow, responsible for the &#x2610; Art Deco touches and the choice of color, and engineer &#x2610; Charles Alton Ellis and bridge designer &#x2610; Leon Moisseiff, who collaborated on the complicated mathematics involved.

The project cost over $27 million.

In May &#x2610; 1924, a hearing, through a petition, was heard by Colonel Herbert Deakyne for the Secretary of War in a request to use land for the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Col. Deakyne, in the Secretary of War's name, approved to give the land needed for the bridge structure and leading roads to the "Bridging the Golden Gate Association" and both the San Francisco and the Marin counties pending further bridge plans by Mr. Strauss.

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The &#x2610; Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District was incorporated in 1928 as the official entity to design, construct, and finance the Golden Gate Bridge. The District includes not only the City & County of San Francisco, and Marin County, in whose boundaries the bridge sits, but also &#x2610; Napa, &#x2610; Sonoma, &#x2610; Mendocino and &#x2610; Del Norte counties. Representatives from each of the six counties sit on the District's Board of Directors. Voters within the District approved funding for the project in 1930 through a special bond issue that put their homes, farms and business properties up as collateral. This bond issue raised the initial $35 million to finance the building of the Bridge. Construction began on &#x2610; January 5, &#x2610; 1933. The construction budget at the time of approval was $30.1 million. Actual construction costs turned out to be $36.7 million, resulting in a &#x2610; cost overrun of 22%. The last of the construction bonds were retired in &#x2610; 1971, with $35 million in principal and nearly $39 million in interest being financed entirely from tolls. Strauss, a graduate of the &#x2610; University of Cincinnati, placed a brick from his &#x2610; alma mater's demolished McMicken Hall in the south anchorage before the concrete was poured.

The bridge was completed in April &#x2610; 1937 and opened to pedestrians on &#x2610; May 27 of that year. The next day, President Roosevelt pushed a button in &#x2610; Washington, DC signaling the official start of vehicle traffic over the Bridge at noon. A unique aspect of the bridge's construction was the safety net set up beneath it, significantly reducing the expected number of deaths for such a project. 11 men were killed from falls during construction, and approximately 19 men were saved by the safety net. 10 of the deaths occurred near completion, when the net itself failed under the stress of a scaffold fall. The 19 workers whose lives were saved by the safety nets became proud members of the (informal) Halfway to Hell Club.

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Since its completion, the bridge has closed due to windy conditions five times; 1951, 1982, 1983, 1996, and 2005. The 1982 event in particular was severe enough to set the bridge in visible motion, undulating in a motion somewhat reminiscent of the catastrophic " &#x2610; Galloping Gertie" in Washington State.

To commemorate Joseph Strauss for his part taken in the construction of the bridge, a statue of him was relocated in &#x2610; 1955 near the structure to remind people how important his work was in the building of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The center span was the &#x2610; longest among suspension bridges until &#x2610; 1964 when the &#x2610; Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was erected between the boroughs of &#x2610; Staten Island and &#x2610; Brooklyn in &#x2610; New York City. The Golden Gate Bridge also had the world's tallest suspension towers at the time of construction, and retained that record until more recently. In &#x2610; 1957, &#x2610; Michigan's &#x2610; Mackinac Bridge surpassed the Golden Gate Bridge's length to become the world's longest two tower suspension bridge in total length between anchorages. The longest center suspension span in the world and the longest two tower suspension bridge between anchorages is currently the &#x2610; Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in &#x2610; Japan.

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As the only road to exit San Francisco to the north, the bridge is part of both &#x2610; U.S. Route 101 and &#x2610; California State Route 1 and on an average day there are 100,000 vehicles crossing the bridge. The bridge has six total lanes of vehicle traffic, and walkways on both sides of the bridge. The median markers between the lanes are moved to conform to traffic patterns. On weekday mornings, traffic flows mostly southbound into the city, so four of the six lanes run southbound. Conversely, on weekday afternoons, four lanes run northbound. While there has been discussion concerning the installation of a &#x2610; movable barrier since the 1980s, the Bridge Board of Directors, in March 2005, committed to finding funding to complete the $2 million study required prior to the installation of a moveable median barrier. The eastern walkway is for pedestrians and bicycles during the weekdays and during daylight hours only, and the western walkway is open to bicyclists on weekday afternoons, weekends, and holidays. The &#x2610; speed limit on the Golden Gate Bridge was reduced from 55 mph (88 km/h) to 45 mph (72 km/h) on &#x2610; October 1, &#x2610; 1983.

On &#x2610; September 1, &#x2610; 2002, the toll for Southbound &#x2610; motor vehicles was raised from US$3.00 to $5.00. Northbound motor vehicle traffic, cycling, and pedestrian traffic remain toll free. The rate for two-axle vehicles and motorcycles with cash is $5 and $4 with &#x2610; FasTrak electronic RF payments. For vehicles with more than two axles, the toll rate is $2.50 per axle.

On &#x2610; November 10, &#x2610; 2006, the &#x2610; Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Bridge District of the &#x2610; California Department of Transportation recommended a &#x2610; corporate sponsorship program for the bridge, as it has been losing money for several years. The Public Information Committee has said that any sponsorship program will not include changing the name of the bridge, or placing &#x2610; advertising on the bridge itself, although it's not clear what such a deal would include. &#x2610; As of 2006, Phase I of the project, which involved investigating potential sponsors of the bridge and analyzing the fiscal benefits has been completed, and Phase II, actual implementation of the program, is awaiting a go-ahead from the Board. . As of February 2007, the Board has made a $1 toll increase their most favored option to increase funding. 

Aesthetics
&#x2610; The color of the bridge is an orange vermilion called  &#x2610; International orange. The color was selected by consulting architect Irving Morrow because it blends well with the natural surroundings yet enhances the bridge's visibility in fog. The bridge is widely considered one of the most beautiful examples of bridge engineering, both as a structural design challenge and for its aesthetic appeal. It was declared one of the modern &#x2610; Wonders of the World by the &#x2610; American Society of Civil Engineers. According to Frommer's travel guide, the Golden Gate Bridge is "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world." (although Frommers also bestows the "most photographed" honor on &#x2610; Tower Bridge )

Aesthetics was the foremost reason why the first design of Joseph Strauss was rejected. Upon re-submission of his bridge construction plan, he added details, such as lighting to outline the bridge's cables and towers.

The Golden Gate Bridge has a similar sister bridge in Lisbon, Portugal. The red-painted &#x2610; Ponte 25 de Abril (25th April Bridge) is 2,278 meters long and spans 1,013 m.

The aesthetics of the bridge are often cited as a prime reason not to erect a suicide barrier on the bridge.

Paintwork
The bridge was originally painted with &#x2610; red lead primer and a &#x2610; lead-based &#x2610; topcoat, which was touched up as required. In the mid- &#x2610; 1960s, a program was started to improve corrosion protection by stripping the original paint off and repainting the bridge with &#x2610; zinc silicate primer and, originally, &#x2610; vinyl topcoats. &#x2610; Acrylic topcoats have been used instead since &#x2610; 1990 for air quality reasons. The program was completed in &#x2610; 1995, and there is now maintenance by 38 painters to touch up the paintwork where it becomes seriously eroded. &#x2610;

Suicides
The Golden Gate Bridge is a notorious site for &#x2610; suicide. The official suicide count ended in &#x2610; 1995 when the number approached 1,000. In the eight years preceding &#x2610; 2003, there was an average of one suicide jump every two weeks, which brought the unofficial total to over 1,300 suicides. Until the official count was discontinued, suicide locations were officially documented according to which of the bridge's 128 lamp posts the jumper was nearest to when he or she jumped.

There were 34 confirmed bridge jump suicides in 2006, in addition to four jumpers whose bodies were never recovered and various unwitnessed deaths that appeared to be suicides but could not be confirmed. The California Highway Patrol removed seventy apparently suicidal people from the bridge that year. Currently, it is said that a person jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge every 15 days.

The 220 foot (67 m) fall from the bridge takes four seconds and jumpers hit the water at 75 miles per hour (120 km/h). &#x2610; As of 2006, only 26 people are known to have survived the jump. Those who do survive always strike the water feet first and most suffer multiple internal injuries and broken bones. One young man, John Kevin Hines, survived a jump off the bridge in &#x2610; 2000, although the impact broke his back and shattered multiple &#x2610; vertebrae.

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A young woman from &#x2610; Piedmont, California, Sarah Rutledge Birnbaum, may be the only person to have jumped from the bridge twice. She survived the first jump in early 1988, but died in her second attempt later that year.

Methods have been discussed to reduce the number of suicides. One idea introduced has been to close the bridge to pedestrians at night. Cyclists are still permitted across at night, but they have to be buzzed in and out through the remotely controlled security gates. Attempts to introduce a suicide barrier have been thwarted by engineering difficulties, high costs, and public opposition. The estimated cost of a barrier is between $15 and $20 million. On &#x2610; January 27 &#x2610; 2005, Bridge District staff re-introduced for the eighth time the topic of a suicide barrier to the Bridge’s Building and Operations committee, citing "the high profile of this issue in recent press and community conversations." On &#x2610; March 11 &#x2610; 2005, the Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Bridge voted 15-1 to approve a two-year, $1.78 million plan to explore the feasibility of a barrier. Proponents of the barrier cite the example of the &#x2610; Empire State Building and the &#x2610; Eiffel Tower, where suicides dropped to zero after a barrier was put up. Those against the barrier argue that a barrier would be unsightly, too costly, and would simply move suicides elsewhere. One way of discouraging suicides, rather than directly preventing them, &#x2610; Jump for Life, was proposed in late &#x2610; 2005. The program seeks to make the bridge a less attractive place to take one's own life.

Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge is a theme of &#x2610; Jenni Olson's experimental film,  &#x2610; The Joy of Life (2005) and documentarian &#x2610; Eric Steel's controversial 2006 film  &#x2610; The Bridge.

The &#x2610; Bureau of Inverse Technology have deployed a number of Suicide Boxes containing motion-detecting cameras to monitor suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge and correlate, in real-time, the number of jumpers with the Dow Jones Industrial Index to create their novel, and frighteningly real, Despondency Index.


 * See also: &#x2610; suicide bridge.

In fiction and film
Film
 *  &#x2610; Bicentennial Man - takes place in San Francisco, the bridge is glimpsed several times across the future, including a view in which it has a double deck structure.
 *  &#x2610; Boys and Girls  - Freddie Prinze Jr. as an engineering student at Cal views the bridge on several occasions with co-star Claire Forlani, admiring and commenting on the structural achievement that the bridge is as well as attempting to untangle their budding romantic relationship.
 *  &#x2610; The Bridge - chronicles the stories of a score of individuals who committed suicide at The Golden Gate Bridge in 2004.
 *  &#x2610; The Core - deadly &#x2610; microwaves from the &#x2610; sun break through the &#x2610; magnetic field which boils the water, melts the suspension cables, and cuts though the road sending hundreds of traffic congested pedestrians into the boiling bay.
 *  &#x2610; Dirty Harry - "Scorpio" hijacks a school bus full of children and forces the driver to head North across the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; Foul Play - The protagonist, during the opening sequence, drives south along the coast and the bridge becomes visible. She then drives across to San Francisco.
 *  &#x2610; The Golden Gate Murders (aka &#x2610; Specter on the Bridge) - A madman attacks people on the bridge, throwing them into the water, making it look like suicides.
 *  &#x2610; Herbie Rides Again - Herbie is chased by Hawk's lawyers along the main cables of the bridge
 *  &#x2610; Hulk - Hulk jumps off the bridge to save a fighter jet.
 *  &#x2610; Interview with the Vampire - Following his interview with Louis, Daniel is attacked by Lestat while driving over the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; It Came from Beneath the Sea - (1955) A giant octopus terrorizes San Francisco. Although some stock footage was shot using the real bridge, the scenes where the octopus attempts to destroy the bridge by wrapping itself around the towers were accomplished by using highly-detailed miniatures and stop-motion animation created by special effects master &#x2610; Ray Harryhausen.
 *  &#x2610; The Joy of Life - Jenni Olson's film offers a history of suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge and features images of the bridge as well as a personal reflection on the production history of &#x2610; Alfred Hitchcock's film  &#x2610; Vertigo ( &#x2610; 1958).
 *  &#x2610; Just Like Heaven
 *  &#x2610; The Love Bug - Herbie attempts to commit " &#x2610; suicide" by trying to drive over the barrier.
 *  &#x2610; On the Beach - (1959 film) The bridge is seen intact after a nuclear war but eerily devoid of traffic. A persistent urban legend maintains guards were hired to block traffic for a minute to get the shot.
 *  &#x2610; The Pursuit of Happyness - The film is set in San Francisco, and the bridge is visible in the trailer and television spots.
 *  &#x2610; Raiders of the Lost Ark - &#x2610; Indiana Jones' plane flies over the newly built bridge. Although many regard this as anachronistic because of the film's 1936 setting, the bridge's suspension towers and much of the roadway was actually completed by late 1936.
 *  &#x2610; The Rock - the bridge can be regularly seen in the background as film was shot near &#x2610; Alcatraz in &#x2610; San Francisco Bay. Near the end of the film, fighter jets fly under the bridge en route to Alcatraz.
 *  &#x2610; So I Married an Axe Murderer - newly married couple travel over the bridge en route to their &#x2610; honeymoon.
 *  &#x2610; Star Trek: The Motion Picture - &#x2610; Starfleet Headquarters is located to the immediate southeast of the bridge's south approach-way.
 *  &#x2610; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - Admiral James T. Kirk and Captain Spock walk along the shore of San Francisco Bay near Fort Point with the bridge in the background, though the script places them in Sausalito at that point in the story; the &#x2610; Klingon &#x2610; bird-of-prey used by the crew of the &#x2610; Starship Enterprise narrowly avoids hitting the Golden Gate Bridge on its way to crashing into the Bay; chambers of the Federation Council are located in the Marin Headlands, immediately west of the bridge's north approach-way.
 *  &#x2610; Superman - Superman saves a school bus about to fall from the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; Vertigo - in this &#x2610; Alfred Hitchcock film, the bridge is a prominent backdrop in a scene set just east (bayside) of &#x2610; Fort Point.
 *  &#x2610; A View to a Kill - in this &#x2610; James Bond film, Bond and &#x2610; Max Zorin fight on top of one of the bridge's towers.
 *  &#x2610; X-Men: The Last Stand - The bridge is moved by &#x2610; Magneto to access &#x2610; Alcatraz, and is later shown in the process of being rebuilt in the film's final scene.

Television
 *  &#x2610; 10.5 - During a 9.5 Earthquake, the bridg's main span and south tower collapses, throwing hundreds of people and cars into the bay. the north tower remains
 *  &#x2610; Charmed - the series is set in San Francisco. The bridge can regularly be seen. Characters meet each other and spend time high atop one of the bridge towers, especially &#x2610; Leo and &#x2610; Chris.
 *  &#x2610; Futurama - the bridge is shown in one &#x2610; episode as a "Hover Bridge", meaning there is no longer a road base.
 *  &#x2610; Full House - the series is set in San Francisco. In the opening credits the bridge is being crossed by a car full of the program's main characters.
 *  &#x2610; Half & Half - the series is set in San Francisco. Various shots of the bridge, as well as other famous city landmarks, can be seen throughout the show.
 *  &#x2610; Knight Rider - the first Season 3 episode "Knight of the Drones" is set in San Francisco and shows &#x2610; KITT driven on the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; Love is a Many Splendored Thing - the bridge is seen prominently in the opening sequence of the &#x2610; soap opera, which was set in San Francisco.
 *  &#x2610; Monk - The series is set in San Francisco. The opening title is over the Golden Gate Bridge in Season 2-5.
 *  &#x2610; On the Beach - (2000 mini series) Twisted remains are shown left from the shock waves of a nuclear blast.
 *  &#x2610; Nash Bridges - the series is set in San Francisco. There are several shots of the bridge placed throughout the show, though more shots are seen of the &#x2610; Bay Bridge
 *  &#x2610; That's So Raven- the show takes place there
 *  &#x2610; Sliders - the series is set in San Francisco. The main characters travel to alternate Earths, and in one of these Earths the bridge is called the Azure Gate Bridge and painted an electric blue.
 *  &#x2610; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - the bridge is damaged during the &#x2610; Dominion War in an attack by the &#x2610; Breen.
 *  &#x2610; Star Trek: Enterprise - the original location of Starfleet Command is located north east of the bridge. Instead of a direct view of traffic lanes and whatever transportation technology is employed, there is an obscuring weatherproof glass arch cover.
 *  &#x2610; Star Trek: Voyager -  &#x2610; Voyager is shown flying underneath the bridge upon finally returning to Earth
 *  &#x2610; Sunrise Earth - An High-Definition television show that featured tai-chi participants exercizing at dawn, with the bridge in the background.
 *  &#x2610; The West Wing - &#x2610; Qumar's defense minister, &#x2610; Abdul ibn Shareef, plotted to destroy the bridge in a terrorist attack.

Books
 *  &#x2610; Crazy in Alabama - After Lucille goes to Hollywood, she tries to get rid of her husband's head by throwing it off the bridge. Instead, her Las Vegas winnings start to go over the side and police think she is trying to commit suicide as she attempts to save her money.
 *  &#x2610; The Golden Gate - &#x2610; Alistair MacLean's novel is a kidnapping story set almost exclusively on the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; The Golden Gate (novel) - &#x2610; Vikram Seth's novel told in sonnets is the story of yuppies in California in the mid 1980s searching for love; the bridge is a source of inspiration for them.
 *  &#x2610; Earth Abides - following the decimation of humanity, the increasing disrepair of the bridge is noted. The protagonist interacts with the bridge at the end of the novel.
 *  &#x2610; Remnants - a tiny meteor causes a submarine to break into the bridge destroying it.
 *  &#x2610; Paperquake- Violet sends a bomb threat to the FBI so people will stay off the bridge, which could collapse in the impending earthquake, which none is aware of.

Games
 *  &#x2610; Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - a model of this bridge (called Gant Bridge) is featured in the city &#x2610; San Fierro, San Andreas.
 *  &#x2610; Red Alert 2 : Yuri's Revenge - the bridge is destroyed in some of the first missions by &#x2610; Soviet invaders.
 *  &#x2610; Midtown Madness 2 - in San Francisco city
 *  &#x2610; Mario is Missing - one of the monuments Luigi must retrieve from the &#x2610; Koopas
 *  &#x2610; San Francisco Rush - racing game set around San Francisco, including a race across the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; GoldenEye: Rogue Agent - Features the top of the bridge in multiplayer. Based on &#x2610; A View to a Kill.
 *  &#x2610; Lupin III: Treasure of the Sorcerer King - &#x2610; Goemon Ishikawa sliced the bridge in half during the opening sequence.
 *  &#x2610; Sonic Adventure 2 - The Radical Highway and Mission Street levels represent the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; Driver: You are the Wheelman - included in the model of San Francisco.
 *  &#x2610; Star Trek: Elite Force 2 - After the U.S.S. Voyager reaches earth, you wander around San Francisco for a while, near the bridge.

Other
 *  &#x2610; Keith Urban - In the video for the song "Once in a Lifetime", the bridge plays a prominent part in the backgroud.
 *  &#x2610; 98 Degrees - The bridge is the main backdrop for the "Because of You" video from the band's 1998 album 98° and Rising. The video contains sweeping views of the bridge and its surrounding landscape and features 98° singing atop one of its pillars.
 *  &#x2610; Star Trek universe - in both the 23rd and 24th Centuries, &#x2610; Starfleet Headquarters, the &#x2610; Federation Council, and &#x2610; Starfleet Academy are all located near the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; Voyager Golden Record - the bridge appears as one of the pictures on the record.
 *  &#x2610; Disney's California Adventure - there is a smaller scale of the bridge at the entrance of Disney's California Adventure.
 *  &#x2610; Sleater-Kinney - the song "Jumpers" from their 2005 album &#x2610; The Woods details the story of a woman who decides to commit suicide by jumping from the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; Red Hot Chili Peppers - The song "Californication" from their 1999 album, Californication. Drummer Chad Smith can be seen snowboarding on the bridge.
 *  &#x2610; Robin Williams: Live on Broadway - &#x2610; Robin Williams mentions the bridge during the performance when describing the increase in security across the US after the &#x2610; 9/11 terrorist attacks, drawing a satirical comparison between the &#x2610; Army National Guard soldiers guarding it and &#x2610; Elmer Fudd.
 *  &#x2610; Steven Curtis Chapman in the video for his song Live out Loud the Bridge can be seen in the background as he plays the guitar over looking the bay and San Fransisco

Photos
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