Spanning the Gate: A Golden Gate Bridge History

The story of the bridge they said could never be built

34 Milestones
150+ Years of history
∞ Growing daily

Denis Mulligan

Building SV Denis Sullivan

  • Envisioned and built the only existing replica of a 19th-century Great Lakes schooner.
  • The SV Denis Sullivan is a three-masted wooden gaff rigged schooner originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
  • Inspired by maritime history, Mulligan's project aims to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes schooners.

Denis Mulligan is known for his visionary project to build SV Denis Sullivan, a unique schooner that serves as a living history of maritime heritage.

Milestones

  • The Earthquake the Bridge Survived
    Cultural Icon and Dark Symbol Disasters & Incidents
    The Earthquake the Bridge Survived

    The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake proved the Golden Gate Bridge's resilience while exposing seismic vulnerabilities that would drive a decades-long retrofit.

    1989
  • The Last Toll Taker's Final Shift
    Retrofit and Renewal Maintenance & Renovation
    The Last Toll Taker's Final Shift

    In 2013, the Golden Gate Bridge eliminated all human toll collectors, becoming the first major U.S. bridge to go fully electronic — ending a 76-year tradition.

    2013
  • The Net That Took 77 Years to Approve
    Legacy and the Barrier Era Cultural & Symbolic
    The Net That Took 77 Years to Approve

    In 2014, the Golden Gate Bridge board finally voted to install a suicide deterrent net, ending decades of agonizing debate over the bridge's deadliest legacy.

    2014
  • The Zipper That Tamed Head-On Death
    Retrofit and Renewal Maintenance & Renovation
    The Zipper That Tamed Head-On Death

    A 3,500-ton moveable concrete barrier finally ended decades of fatal head-on collisions on the bridge's undivided roadway.

    2015
  • The Bridge That Sings
    Legacy and the Barrier Era Maintenance & Renovation
    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.

    2020
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