I understand this. I was there for the 50th anniversary when the "walk" almost brought the bridge down. We came up from Chrissy Field early in the morning, and even by 8AM the crowds had vastly exceeded the expectations -- instead of 50,000 people, it was something like a million, as I recall (including all those who couldn't even get on the bridge). We came up the hillside to the bridge and the road was jammed with people, from the south as far as I could see, and to the north, across the bridge toward Sausalito.
We tried going across the bridge -- futile. In one hour we went 100 yards. The pressure of the crowd kept intensifying till you almost couldn't breathe. Kids were crying. People were starting to panic. We got scared and turned around, and took another hour to make our way off the bridge.
As we started back down the hillside, I looked along the bridge and could clearly see a major dimple downward in the middle, between the two sections of roadway at that point. Imagine two arcs extending from either end of the bridge towards the middle, where it was depressed almost 12 feet downward from normal (again, from memory), in a sharp cusp from the weight of so many people. The bridge cables were stretched that much. (It most certainly was not "level" as the story below says, except in an average sense.)
I told the people in my party that it looked like the bridge was in danger of breaking, and the news that evening confirmed that: the bridge hadn't been designed for such a high density of weight (not to mention the dynamic load!), and the 3X static over-design factor built into the bridge (again, from memory) had almost totally been used up.
Seriously, San Francisco dodged a major bullet that day. Imagine if there had been a stampede, which was brewing with the growing panic (believe me, it was palpable). 300,000 people were on that bridge. The dynamic shaking could have brought down many spans, and those not hurled into the water with all the concrete and steel would still have been trampled. I could easily imagine 100,000 could have died.
The fireworks display that evening was spectacular, by the way, when we went back down to Chrissy Field. Aside from the multiple barges pumping exploding rockets into the air everywhere, the bridge was made to look like a vast waterfall of fire was coming off of it. A memorable day.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15588949?source=rss&nclick_check=1
Golden Gate Bridge officials nix walk for 75th anniversary
Posted: 07/23/2010 05:39:11 PM PDT
Updated: 07/23/2010 05:42:00 PM PDT
Those hoping to walk the Golden Gate Bridge when the span celebrates its 75th birthday in 2012 won't get that chance.
Those hoping to walk the Golden Gate Bridge when the span celebrates its 75th birthday in 2012 won't get that chance.
Bridge officials have nixed the walk out of concerns for security and crowd control and will instead focus on an undetermined event in the area, possibly at Crissy Field in San Francisco with the assistance of the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy.
When the bridge turned 50 in 1987, an estimated 300,000 people poured onto the bridge when the famed roadway was shut down. The weight of humanity caused the span to lose its arch and become level.
"We looked at a walk along the lines of what occurred in 1987, but in light of the events of 9/11 and in light of all the construction projects going on, it was decided by the 75th anniversary advisory committee that we would not have a bridge walk," said Mary Currie, bridge district spokeswoman.
Dietrich Stroeh, a board member from Marin who sits on the committee, said the threat of terrorism at an event that is hard to control was a factor in the decision.
"We didn't have that issue in our heads in 1987," he said. "Security is a more of a factor now. The more people you have there, the more potential you have for problems. Just the access to the bridge itself is an issue. We are very cautious now of where people can go on the bridge."
The committee - made up of board members - looked at a limited bridge walk involving a set number of tickets, but the idea was eventually rejected.
"It would take a large force to manage something like that," Currie said. "To have a large gathering on a small space didn't seem prudent. The number of people who came in 1987 was overwhelming, and we were lucky then there were no incidents."
And with continuing seismic work on the bridge, as well as work on Doyle Drive to the south and on roads in the Marin Headlands to the north, bridge officials said they will have to figure out a new way to celebrate the span on its 75th birthday.
In addition to a span walk on the bridge's 50th birthday, there was one on May 27, 1937, the day before it opened to vehicular traffic. The 25th anniversary was celebrated with a civic luncheon.
On Friday, the bridge board approved a plan to enter negotiations with the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy to develop money making ventures to help fund a celebration and to raise money beyond the anniversary. The conservancy has helped restore Crissy Field, rehabilitated buildings in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and has worked on trails, among other projects.
"A partnership seems natural and logical," said Greg Moore, who heads the conservancy.
The conservancy would develop commemorative products as well as related events if it ends up working with the bridge district.
"The ideas and possibilities are endless," said Janet Reilly, bridge board member who is heading the 75th anniversary committee
Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at mprado@marinij.com.
When the bridge turned 50 in 1987, an estimated 300,000 people poured onto the bridge when the famed roadway was shut down. The weight of humanity caused the span to lose its arch and become level.
"We looked at a walk along the lines of what occurred in 1987, but in light of the events of 9/11 and in light of all the construction projects going on, it was decided by the 75th anniversary advisory committee that we would not have a bridge walk," said Mary Currie, bridge district spokeswoman.
Dietrich Stroeh, a board member from Marin who sits on the committee, said the threat of terrorism at an event that is hard to control was a factor in the decision.
"We didn't have that issue in our heads in 1987," he said. "Security is a more of a factor now. The more people you have there, the more potential you have for problems. Just the access to the bridge itself is an issue. We are very cautious now of where people can go on the bridge."
The committee - made up of board members - looked at a limited bridge walk involving a set number of tickets, but the idea was eventually rejected.
"It would take a large force to manage something like that," Currie said. "To have a large gathering on a small space didn't seem prudent. The number of people who came in 1987 was overwhelming, and we were lucky then there were no incidents."
And with continuing seismic work on the bridge, as well as work on Doyle Drive to the south and on roads in the Marin Headlands to the north, bridge officials said they will have to figure out a new way to celebrate the span on its 75th birthday.
In addition to a span walk on the bridge's 50th birthday, there was one on May 27, 1937, the day before it opened to vehicular traffic. The 25th anniversary was celebrated with a civic luncheon.
On Friday, the bridge board approved a plan to enter negotiations with the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy to develop money making ventures to help fund a celebration and to raise money beyond the anniversary. The conservancy has helped restore Crissy Field, rehabilitated buildings in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and has worked on trails, among other projects.
"A partnership seems natural and logical," said Greg Moore, who heads the conservancy.
The conservancy would develop commemorative products as well as related events if it ends up working with the bridge district.
"The ideas and possibilities are endless," said Janet Reilly, bridge board member who is heading the 75th anniversary committee
Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at mprado@marinij.com.
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