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- According to much tourist data, the Golden Gate Bridge
- is the single most popular tourist attraction in this great
- nation. More people visit here each year than at any other
- tourist site. Just what makes this bridge site so popular?
- A number of things. One is location; as ships approach our
- western shore the first object visible to those on board is
- the bridge tower. For the adventurous traveler this bridge
- has come to be recognized as the western gateway. A second
- reason for its wide popularity is the fact that it is among
- the most spectacular suspension bridges in existence today.
- This amazing bridge is over a mile in length, spanning
- the Pacific Ocean to connect the city of San Francisco with
- northern California. The bridge is held in position by two
- steel cables. Both of these cables have a diameter that is
- in excess of thirty six inches. From these huge cables the
- bridge literally hangs. The bridge's floor is about ninety
- feet wide and contains a six lane roadway as well as needed
- sidewalks. The bridge is built at a height above the water
- which permits huge ships to pass below. Of great dismay is
- the large number of suicide deaths that occur at this site.
-