Golden Gate Bridge is making an eerie sound, and many drivers have shared it on social media. The good news, the district is already working on reducing the bothersome noise.
Drivers Share Videos of Them Driving on Golden Gate Bridge With Mysterious Noise
Several netizens have shared videos of them driving on the Golden Gate Bridge with eerie sounds in the background. They were also surprised at why they were hearing something like a ghostly sound.
Joe Pierre shared a clip while driving on the Bridge, and an eerie sound is audible from the clip. According to him, it is much louder and disconcerting in person. He added that the whistling noise is what the Bridge sounds like in the rain.
It’s much louder and more disconcerting than in the video, but this whistling noise is what the Golden Gate Bridge sounds like in the rain and wind.#BombCyclone #AtmosphericRiver #bayareastorm pic.twitter.com/9dC0pYbtwk
— Joe Pierre, MD (@psychunseen) January 5, 2023
Another video obtained by ABC News shows a motorist looking surprised at the eerie howling noise while driving on the Bridge. Several netizens reacted to the video, saying it was creepy.
SOUND ON: Powerful winds caused this "eerie howling noise" on the Golden Gate Bridge, creeping out motorists traveling across it. https://t.co/EAhrTWPhaW pic.twitter.com/YvunuMRZ5k
— ABC News (@ABC) January 20, 2023
However, several also said that it was due to the winds.
Why Does the Golden Gate Gate Bridge Produce Eerie Sound?
It's easy to speculate and use outrageous stories to explain the eerie sounds on the Golden Gate Bridge. However, there is nothing mysterious in it.
On average, 30 people die from suicide at the Bridge annually. Hundreds were stopped from harming themselves, thanks to the combined efforts of the Golden Gate Bridge District Patrol, California Highway Patrol, other law enforcement and citizen intervention, Daily Mail reported.
The state official decided to add a railing to stop people from jumping off the Bridge. Between 2001 to 2003, a 4-foot, 6-inch high public safety railing was added between the roadway and each of the two sidewalks, according to the Golden Gate Bridge's website. After several years, it needed fixing, so the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District added retrofit railings on a new west sidewalk railing with thinner slats than before.
However, they didn't test the new railing in the wind tunnel. The high winds blow through the new barriers emitting a shrill, screeching sound, according to Popular Mechanics.
Golden Gate Bridge District is Working on Ending the Eerie, Creepy Sound
The Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District is aware of the eerie sound produced by a storm or strong winds. So, they proposed a solution, which was approved on Dec. 17, 2021.
They developed a cost-effective measure to eliminate wind-induced sound. They proposed to install thin u-shaped clips to both edges of all 12 000 vertical slats on the newly installed west railing.
It will cover each slat from top to bottom, so winds can't pass through it. Also, a thin rubber sleeve will be added underneath to dampen vibrations contributing to the noise.
According to the district, there may still be audible noise, but the solution will reduce the sound by 75%. The remaining sounds are expected to be faint or inaudible in residential areas near the Bridge.
The proposed solution will not affect the Bridge's structural stability during sustained high winds. Also, it will not ruin the structure's aesthetics as it will be invisible to most users.
The thin u-shaped clips are expected to be installed in the first half of 2023.
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