The Bridge That Sings
New wind-resistant railing slats turned the Golden Gate into a giant aeolian instrument, filling San Francisco with an eerie, otherworldly hum.
Brocken Inaglory / CC BY-SA 3.0
It's a humming, or a droning. Depending on the winds, it can be very loud.
— Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, Golden Gate Bridge District spokesperson
The Bridge That Sings: The Golden Gate’s Unintended Acoustic Phenomenon
In 2020, the Golden Gate Bridge began to emit an eerie, humming sound, surprising both locals and tourists alike.
What happened: In 2020, routine maintenance on the Golden Gate Bridge’s west sidewalk led to the installation of thin aluminum slats replacing the old railing panels. This change inadvertently transformed the bridge into a giant resonator, producing a droning hum audible for miles. The phenomenon was captured by photographer Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz and reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, alarming residents and sparking debate. Denis Mulligan, the bridge’s chief engineer, acknowledged the unexpected acoustic effect and emphasized the importance of balancing safety upgrades with preserving the bridge’s character.
Why it matters: This incident highlighted the complex interplay between structural integrity and the cultural significance of iconic landmarks. It underscored the need for careful consideration when making even minor alterations to such structures, as they can have unforeseen impacts on the environment and public perception.
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Why This Mattered
When thin aluminum slats replaced the old railing panels on the bridge's west sidewalk, high winds transformed the structure into a massive harmonica. The droning hum carried for miles, bewildering and alarming residents across the city. The phenomenon revealed how even routine retrofitting on a landmark of this scale can produce dramatic, unintended consequences — and sparked fresh debate about balancing safety upgrades with the bridge's character.
