The Richmond – San Rafael Bridge (officially, the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge) is the northernmost of the east–west crossings of the San Francisco Bay in California, USA, connecting Richmond on the east to San Rafael on the west end. It is commonly known as the Richmond Bridge, though in Richmond it is called the San Rafael Bridge. It opened in 1956 replacing ferry service by the Richmond – San Rafael Ferry Company.
The bridge measures 5.5 m...
more
The Richmond – San Rafael Bridge (officially, the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge) is the northernmost of the east–west crossings of the San Francisco Bay in California, USA, connecting Richmond on the east to San Rafael on the west end. It is commonly known as the Richmond Bridge, though in Richmond it is called the San Rafael Bridge. It opened in 1956 replacing ferry service by the Richmond – San Rafael Ferry Company.
The bridge measures 5.5 miles (29,040 feet / 8,851.39 m / 8.9 km) long. At the time it was built, it was one of the world's longest bridges. The bridge spans two principal ship channels and has two separate major spans, each of the cantilever type. To save money, both main cantilever sections were designed identically, including the angles, necessitating the "dip" in the central section, giving the bridge a "roller coaster" appearance and also the nickname "roller coaster span". This appearance has also been referred to as a "bent coat hanger". After it was completed,...
less
