After Improvements, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Hums
Otis Redding whistles at the end of his 1967 classic 'Sittin on the Dock of the Bay' and in 2020 the Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean is now singing its own song.
The Golden Gate Bridge, now 83-years-old, recently went through a retrofitting to make the bridge more aerodynamic under high winds. The upgrade project was necessary to make the aging bridge more stable and safe for years to come.
But now the iconic bridge hums. The stronger the wind, the louder the hum. The singing Golden Gate Bridge can now be heard up to 3 miles away.
Ray Ryan said he first heard the bridge this weekend but many people have heard it for over a week now. Ryan told CNN, the bridge is "haunting yet kind of beautiful".
The opinion of Bay area residents is split, some love it others hate it.
Engineers knew the bridge would make a high pitched sound in high winds after the improvements were made, not sure they counted on the sound being this loud. Apparently the bulk of the sound is coming from thinner sidewalk handrails that were replaced on the westside. The new and improved handrails were designed for better airflow, but now that more air is moving through them, they hum.
If you've ever been on the Golden Gate Bridge, then you know it's almost always windy. So if engineers do nothing, it will continue to hum.
In this video, you will hear the Golden Gate Bridge's new 'sound' from a distance and while driving over it. Some say it sounds like a whistle, others say a hum or ringing.