-->

San Francisco launches Golden Gate anniversary


The city on Monday launched a yearlong 75th anniversary celebration of the opening of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge with a string of parties, guided tours and festivals to be held along the waterfront graced by the burnt-orange span since 1937.

"The Golden Gate Bridge stands today as a testament of innovation and imagination, a bridge built by the people during the Great Depression," said Janet Reilly, president of the bridge district board.

She and dozens of other civic leaders, national parks officials, bridge authorities and supporters spoke before a backdrop of the bridge set against a crisp, blue winter sky.

Authorities, however, won't be inviting the public to walk en mass along the storied bridge that marks the opening to San Francisco Bay.

Officials tried that in 1987 for the 50th anniversary. They closed down the bridge to traffic to replicate the opening-day festivities of 1937, when sprinters, roller skaters and tap dancers crossed what was then the world's longest suspension bridge.

An estimated 250,000 people ambled across the 1.7-mile (2.74-kilometer) bridge from either end on May 27, 1987, more than double the anticipated crowd. When they converged in the middle of the span, the human gridlock forced its majestic arch to flatten, creating mild panic and a few injuries before authorities could clear the crowd.

0 Response to "San Francisco launches Golden Gate anniversary"

Iklan Atas Artikel

Iklan Tengah Artikel 1

Iklan Tengah Artikel 2

Iklan Bawah Artikel