The Golden Gate Bridge has long been a symbol not only of San Francisco, but of California. It’s presence a reassuring monument to the promise of a bright and golden future of the Western Shore.
It’s also responsible for the current audible nightmare going on in The City, resembling The One Ring calling to Faramir.
If you are unfamiliar with the situation, imagine a high pitched screaming sound rising anytime there is a hard wind on the bridge. This is apparently caused by a brand-new guardrail installed earlier this year, to protect pedestrians on the historic span.
A simple stroll down Twitter gives some results if you’d like to hear what the new sound is like:
According to The Guardian, a Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District spokesperson says this particular sound comes from wind retrofitting.
“The new musical tones coming from the bridge are a known and inevitable phenomenon that stem from our wind retrofit project during very high winds. The wind retrofit project is designed to make the Bridge more aerodynamic under high wind conditions and is necessary to ensure the safety and structural integrity of the Bridge for generations to come,” Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz said.
“We knew going into the handrail replacement that the bridge would sing during exceptionally high winds from the west, as we saw yesterday. We are pleased to see the new railing is allowing wind to flow more smoothly across the bridge.”
Make your own “Into The West” jokes, and watch out for Nazgul.
