Divers also plummeted some 90 feet (27m) below the water’s surface to remove rock for the construction, and a cargo vessel colliding with the access trestle in the early stages delayed the bridge’s completion.

When the bridge was finally finished, in 1937, its main span stretched out for 4,200 feet (1,280m) and its towers soared to 746 feet (227m). This striking photo was taken earlier that same year.

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