If you’re still wondering what kind of construction actually happened this past weekend on the Golden Gate Bridge, then feast your eyes on a video that shows you what the “Zipper truck” is meant to do.
For those who’ve driven on the bridge before, it used to get a little scary sometimes with only tiny yellow markers diving the northbound and southbound lanes. But now, with the new movable and sturdier barrier, drivers can breathe a little easier. Watch below how the divider will look from now on.
And if you’re still shaking your head as to why this was necessary construction, here a few facts about the traffic on the bridge, as well as about the "zipper truck."
1. Since the bridge opened to traffic in 1937, 2,025,883,491 cars have crossed it.
2. An average of about 39 million cars cross the bridge yearly.
3. The bridge has been closed to traffic eight times before this past weekend’s closure.
4. The current record of most cars crossing the bridge is for October 27, 1989, when 162, 414 cars drove across the bridge.
5. The moveable barrier put in place this weekend cost $30.3 million dollars to install.
6. The barrier is made up of 3,500 movable concrete blocks that weigh 1,500 pounds each.
7. The very idea of a moveable barrier began in 1985.
8. The “zipper truck” is actually called a barrier transfer machine. It only gets five miles a gallon and goes as fast as 10 mph.
9. The actual function of the "zipper truck" is to lift/suck in the barrier and move it to the other lane, before it leaves the truck.
10. The barrier is 11,500 feet long and actually condenses the amount of space on the bridge by six inches.
Top photo courtesy of Golden Gate Bridge District/Vimeo.
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