San Diego Coronado Bridge
Tip of the Week: April 21, 2007
Live in or visit San Diego, you can't miss it, but what do you
know about it? The Coronado Bridge, a San Diego landmark, opened August 3, 1969.
It was built during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the
founding of the West Coast's oldest city, San Diego. Construction
began in 1967 at a cost of $50 million. The bridge received an award from the American Institute of Steel
Construction as "Most Beautiful Bridge" in 1970. BASIC STATS: The bridge is one of the world's great bridges for the number and size
of its 30 concrete towers. The towers were designed to reflect the
mission arch shape, associated historically, with regional architecture. It is 2.12-mile long (11,179-foot) with a 200 ft. clearance for the
tallest ships (aircraft carriers) to pass underneath The blue color was chosen to blend with sky and sea. Painting the
bridge is a never-ending job. A four-person crew works year-round
to keep it protected from corrosive ocean breezes.
Leaving Coronado, 90-degree turn mid-span serves to make the bridge
long enough to achieve a 4.67 percent grade, This 2,850-foot section
is the longest in the U.S. using curved steel plate girders. The steel superstructure was fabricated and partially erected in
the San Francisco Bay Area. Girders were barged down the Pacific
Coast and lifted into place by the largest barge crane in the West,
the "Marine Boss."
Precast prestressed concrete girders of up to 165-feet in length
were manufactured in Long Beach. These are among the longest of
their kind in use in the country.
The 34-inch high barrier railing is safety designed to redirect vehicles
back onto the roadway with little or no damage,and still permit an
unobstructed views while crossing the bridge
Rumors are 'afloat' as to whether the middle section can collapse
to accomodate more ships in the event of an emergency or that the
bay is mined to protect the military assets but neither can be
confirmed. On July 1, 2002, the bridge became toll-free after all construction
bonds were paid. The bridge was designed entirely and exclusively for motor-vehicle
traffic: there are no pedestrian walkways, bike paths, or even
shoulders ("breakdown lanes"). The Coronado Bridge is featured in movies and television: the TV
show, Simon & Simon, the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron
Burgundy (2004) and the TV show, Veronica Mars has used the bridge
in its shots. So, next time you see the Coronado Bridge, we hope you'll see it
differently.
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