How were the main cables made?

By spinning thousands of wires on site

Golden Gate Construction Quiz: Building the Bridge 1933-1937

This Golden Gate construction quiz climbs the towers and cables of the bridge built across San Francisco's strait from 1933 to 1937. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on Joseph Strauss, Leon Moisseiff and Charles Ellis, Irving Morrow's color, the safety net, the Halfway to Hell Club, cable spinning and the record span.

Start Golden Gate Construction Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Start
When did construction begin?
Open
When did the bridge open to the public?
Engineer
Who was the chief engineer?
Design
Which engineer did key calculations for the suspension design?
Color
Who chose International Orange and the Art Deco details?
Net
What safety measure saved many workers?
Club
What did the saved workers call themselves?
Span
How long is the main span?
Record
Until when was it the world's longest suspension span?
Cables
How were the main cables made?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: When did construction begin?
Answer: January 1933
It took about four years.
Q2: When did the bridge open to the public?
Answer: May 1937
Pedestrians crossed first.
Q3: Who was the chief engineer?
Answer: Joseph Strauss
He pushed the project for years.
Q4: Which engineer did key calculations for the suspension design?
Answer: Charles Ellis
Leon Moisseiff also shaped it.
Q5: Who chose International Orange and the Art Deco details?
Answer: Irving Morrow
The color stands out in fog.
Q6: What safety measure saved many workers?
Answer: A net under the bridge
It saved 19 men.
Q7: What did the saved workers call themselves?
Answer: The Halfway to Hell Club
They fell into the net.
Q8: How long is the main span?
Answer: 4,200 feet
That is about 1,280 meters.
Q9: Until when was it the world's longest suspension span?
Answer: 1964
The Verrazzano bridge passed it.
Q10: How were the main cables made?
Answer: By spinning thousands of wires on site
Each cable holds over 27,000 wires.

Golden Gate Construction Quiz – Building the Bridge 1933-1937

Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began in January 1933 under chief engineer Joseph Strauss. Leon Moisseiff and Charles Ellis shaped and calculated the suspension design, and Irving Morrow added the Art Deco details and International Orange color.

Workers built a tower base in the open strait and spun the main cables on site from more than 27,000 wires each. A safety net under the deck caught 19 men, who called themselves the Halfway to Hell Club.

The bridge opened to pedestrians in May 1937. Its 4,200-foot main span was the world's longest until 1964, though eleven workers died during construction.

What This Quiz Teaches

Engineering fans will enjoy these questions.

When it was built
Who designed it
How the cables were made
How workers were protected
Which records it set

Did You Know?

Each tower rises 746 feet above the water.
The deck can sway in strong winds.
Painters touch up the bridge constantly.
Fog horns sound on gray days.
It is one of the most photographed bridges in the world.