Which famous bridge spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay?

At the entrance to San Francisco Bay stands one of the most famous bridges in the world: the Golden Gate Bridge. It stretches across the narrow opening where the great bay of San Francisco meets the open Pacific Ocean. With its towering orange shape often wrapped in fog, it has become one of the most recognized landmarks on the entire planet.

Many people assume the bridge is named after a gate made of gold. In fact, the Golden Gate is the name of the strait itself, the narrow channel of water connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The bridge takes its name from this waterway. It links the city of San Francisco on one side to Marin County on the other, joining two pieces of land that were once connected only by ferry boats.

Building the bridge was no easy task. When the idea was first proposed, many experts believed a bridge could never be built across the Golden Gate strait. The waters there are deep, the currents are strong and swirling, and the area is known for fierce winds and thick fog. Despite these doubts, construction went ahead in the 1930s, and the bridge was completed and opened in 1937. For many years afterward it held the record as the longest suspension bridge in the world.

One of the most distinctive things about the Golden Gate Bridge is its color. It is not painted red or gold, but a special shade known as International Orange. This color was chosen so the bridge would stand out clearly against the blue water, the green hills, and especially the gray fog that so often rolls in from the ocean. The salty sea air is harsh on the structure, so the bridge is repainted regularly to protect it and keep its glowing color bright.

This article was written using information from Wikipedia.