Opening on August 3, 1969, this
beautifully curved bridge joins the City of
San Diego and Island of
Coronado.
Requiring two and a half years to build and costing $50 million dollars, the bridge was contested by numerous groups, including Coronado Residents and the US Navy. The toll was created to pay for its construction, and although city officials confirm that the construction bill was paid severalyears ago, the toll continues to be collected. This is a source of much hate and discontent to daily commuters.
The bridge is for motor vehicles only. Pedestrians and bicyclists must take a ferry from downtown San Diego. Signs are posted every hundred feet or so along the bridge with a suicide prevention hotline. Maybe it's the picaresque view, but the bridge is a popular end-of-the-line stop for the suicidal.
Interesting Numbers:
- 2.12-miles (11,179-feet) long
- Approximately 200 feet tall
- Ascends at a 4.67 percent grade
- 34-inch high barrier railing (Designed to redirect vehicles back onto the roadway with little or no damage, and low enough to permit an unobstructed view while crossing the bridge.)