Today is the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge is the most inspiring structure I've seen in the United States, but the Bay Bridge is in some ways a greater achievement.
For starters, the Bay Bridge was finished first. It opened for business today in 1936, and the Golden Gate opened in May of 1937. Which means there will be a 75th anniversary next year for the orange laggard.
The Bay Bridge was built during the Great Depresssion at a cost of $77 million, and connected San Francisco with the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. For the first time, people living in Berkeley or Oakland did not need a ferry to visit San Francisco. An automobile could drive the 8 miles in a few minutes.
The Bay Bridge was the longest in the world when it opened. It was so long, the technology for its time didn't allow the construction of a single bridge. Instead, it was constructed in four parts. They connect so well, motorists never notice them. The tunnel drilled through Yerba Buena Island was the largest for its time.
There's a good article at SFGate, with some photos of the construction.
Here are a few more photos I've shot over the years.
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