| Golden Gate Bridge - Southern End (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Golden Gate Bridge - Southern End
Photographer Description of Golden Gate Bridge - Southern End
Panorama of the Golden Gate Bridge taken on the southern section of the bridge, before passing under the massive supporting tower. The southern tower of the Golden Gate Bridge is built on the sea bed, while the tower at the northern end is built on land. The panorama also shows some of the view over San Francisco Bay. It took time to wait for a gap in the traffic before taking this panorama.Golden Gate Bridge - Southern End - Further Information
Golden Gate Bridge seen here from the northern Marin Headland is a wonder of modern engineering which many thought may never be accomplished. Spanning the Golden Gate Straits - the fast flowing currents which sweep into San Francisco Harbour - was a particularly difficult challenge given the terrain and topography, not to mention the isolation and difficult accessing the northern and southern bridge access points which this bridge was built to overcome.The bridge boasts impressive statistics which, at the time of construction, included the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is 8,981 feet (2,737 m) long with a central suspension section of 4,200ft (1,277 m). The bridge is 90ft wide (27m) and the towers reach to 746ft (227 m) tall. There is a high tide water clearance underneath of 220ft (67 m) for passage of shipping underneath and the road has six lanes of traffic as well as pedestrian walkways and bicycle routes. Around 2,100 Billion cubic meters of seawater flow under the bridge every day through the 400ft depth of the Straights, indicating the strong currents here flowing typically a 5.6 miler per hour, or 2.5 meters per second. The bridge opened in 1937 after four years of construction, ahead of schedule and under budget - a remarkable achievement which remains as one of the wonders of the modern world and undoubtedly San Francisco's most recogniseable landmark.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Bus: Golden Gate Bridge/Parking Lot (28, 29)
Car: Parking at the Golden Gate Bridge Parking Lot (fees apply) or free parking in another lot a short distance down Lincoln Blvd.
Walk: It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge.