GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
The Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco, California, took just over four years to build
and was open to vehicular traffic on May 28, 1937. The Bridge can be a very busy place,
particularly during the summer months. More than 41 million vehicles cross the Golden Gate
Bridge annually.
Today, painters touch up the paint
continuously. There are 38
painters who work on the bridge
at one time.
Total length: 1.7 miles
Total weight when built: 894,500
tons
Total weight today: 887,000 tons.
Weight reduced because of new
decking material.
ACTIVITY
1. How many years has the Golden Gate Bridge been open to traffic?
2. The bridge has been closed three times for weather, once on its fiftieth birthday. What year
was this?
3. How many cars can cross the Golden Gate Bridge each day?
4. Keeping in mind the length of the bridge, how long will it take a car traveling at a speed of
100km/h to cross the bridge?
5. If it takes 38 painters 12 months to paint the bridge, how many painters will it take if we
reduce the time by 4 months?
6. How much weight (in kilos) did the bridge lose by using new materials?