The Golden Gate Bridge Sings!
San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge has started “singing”! It’s TRUE!
The bridge has “gone musical” following recent changes to bicycle-path railings – these new railings appear to make music as the wind blows through them, residents have reported!
The bridge spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay, and to the west is the Pacific Ocean – so it gets very windy there – and that is what’s making the music!
I’ve had the chance to drive across the bridge many times – and it’s always an exhilarating experience – and I can imagine how the wind whistles through the railings and cables…
If you haven’t driven across the bridge, here’s a bit of the fun:
Locals have noticed it, and according to the reporting, have taken to social media to ask about it.
“Can someone explain me why is this eerie sound has been going on for an hour in #SanFrancisco #presidio #sound #eerie #whatisthis #2020SoFar #2020BingoCard,” one Twitter user wrote Friday afternoon.
Matthew Hollerman and his friends captured it perfectly and shared it on YouTube:
Wow, it’s really making music!
Well, there is a reason, and City Officials offered an explanation for the sound, which does indeed emirate from the bridge – and can be heard for miles…
Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, a Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District spokesperson, said the sounds stemmed from long-planned 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,” Cosulich-Schwartz said.
She went on to add:
“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.”
Not only flowing more smoothly, but literally “whistling while it works!”
Here’s another bit of the drive across the bridge and the impressive pillars!
I love the drive across – and there is a terrific overlook on the north side so you can get lots of incredible photos as well!
That’s not on the only time I’ve experience a musical bridge:
Welcome To Melbourne Australia!
Melbourne is a beautiful city, located on the southern coast of Australia, very far south – in fact, if you look on an Atlas, you will see that Melbourne is very close to the South Pole – and as you can see, they have some very beautiful bridges as well…
I was in Melbourne filming, and got up early one morning for a walk along this river, with the city skyline as a backdrop…
I love to walk, and I tried to explore as much of the central part of the city as I could, which led me to this park.
Birrarung Marr is an inner-city park between the central business district in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and the Yarra River. It was opened in 2002. The name means ‘river of mists’ and ‘river bank’ in the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people, the Indigenous inhabitants at the time of European settlement of the Melbourne area.
The Sandridge Bridge is a historic former railway bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The 585 foot long bridge was redeveloped in 2006 as a new pedestrian and cycle path featuring public art – and traditional music!
Listen to a bit of this bridge:
I loved this city for so many reason – like the fact it has this tower!
Eureka!
More than just being a gorgeous city, Melbourne also has the tallest building in the southern hemisphere – the Eureka Tower!
We filmed on the 88th floor, and got some spectacular views of the city and surrounding area:
I filmed in Melbourne with Actress / Author Sasha Grey, and we went up 88 stories to the top of the tower!
Oh, and after we entered “the cube”, the most amazing thing happened – you can see video proof here:
https://johnrieber.com/2013/01/11/sasha-grey-goes-88-stories-high-in-australias-eureka-tower/
Melbourne was an incredible city, as was Sydney Australia:
From the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbor bridge to world famous Bondi Beach, this city is incredible in so many ways:
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Let me know if you’ve heard the Golden Gate bridge sing!
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Categories: Art, Australia, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
That is so cool!
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I wonder how loud the singing is. It’s okay if it’s soft and low humming. I like to drive without distraction. It sounds cool though, John.
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That’s a great point Miriam…if it’s a nice melodic hmmmmmmm……but it feels like when the wind is strong it might be a bit much!
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If it’s caused my the wind, I can understand it would be loser when the wind is strong! Good to know, John.
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Wow – that’s cool
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Perhaps annoying over a long period of time – I don’t think people realize just how windy it gets on that bridge – cold pacific ocean air as well!
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Easy for me to say that I think I’d like it since I don’t live there but it does sound cool
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That’s so cool! The bridge hadn’t been refitted the last time I drove over it, so sadly, I missed out. I enjoyed your Australian bridges, as well. Terrific photos!
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I loved Melbourne – don’t know if I’ll ever get back, but it was a terrific city!
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I know I would not like hearing this whistling while I traversed either of these bridges, John. Great pictures and videos.
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The music on the Melbourne bridge is recorded aboriginal chants and hymn and is actually very soothing and spiritual…
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I heard the recorded music but thought that was over and above the natural noises. A nice idea if you are walking or sitting in traffic. We get very high winds in Cape Town. It whistles around houses and shakes cars and trucks. I watched a video the other day where a huge truck was literally blow over by a strong wind. It’s scary to watch.
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Yes, the wind is much more powerful than you realize until it decides to remind you!
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I love the Golden Gate Bridge but it sounds a bit eerie to me. Melbourne looks like a beautiful city and I would love to see it someday! Too bad it’s so far away!
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Melbourne was magical in so many ways…yes, the bridge would be perfect for Halloween night!
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The Melbourne musical bridge seemed weird, but I quite like the natural sound of the wind in the metal on the Golden Gate. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, the bridge in Melbourne uses aboriginal chants as a cultural mix along with Digeridoo, etc.
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