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Spick
andSpan
Besidesmaking it one of themost recognizable
bridges in the world, the iconic “international
orange” color of the Golden Gate Bridge helps
it stand out against the San Francisco Bay’s
iconic weather: fog. To aid in that effort, and
help ring in the bridge’s 75th birthday, its care-
takers have decided for the first time ever to
clean, reseal and repaint the full length of the
twomain cables, a process that will take six
years. Bridge construction took only four—
so what’s the holdup? “There are a number of
factors,” says Mary Currie, the bridge’s public
affairs director. “The fog, for one.”
BY SAMPOLCER
PAPER SCULPTURE BY SHOTOPOP
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
MAY 2012
19
FACTS TRENDS NEWS
THEWORLD
TOTALWEIGHT,
INTONS,
OFMAINCABLES,
SUSPENDER CABLES
ANDACCESSORIES:
24,500
LENGTH, IN FEET, OF
EACHOF THE TWO
MAINCABLES:
7,650
NUMBEROF
GALVANIZED STEEL
WIRES IN EACH
MAINCABLE:
27,572
HEIGHT, IN FEET,
OF EACHOF THE
TWOTOWERSOVER
WHICHTHEMAIN
CABLES PASS:
746
NUMBEROF
PAIRSOF
VERTICAL
SUSPENDER
CABLES
(WHICH LINK
THE ROADWAY
TOTHEMAIN
CABLES):
250