San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.comThe Coronado Bridge Turns 40 Years Old

The Coronado Bridge Turns 40 Years Old

Saturday morning, dozens of local leaders were on hand to celebrate one of America's finest symbols.

Do any search on San Diego and chances are the distinctive blue bridge will be one of the first images to pop up on the screen: The Coronado Bridge.

Now celebrating its 40th year, its sleek and slender towers and smooth curve are as beautiful as ever, and its function is equally important.

"It helps people get to and from their jobs, which is very important to the economy of this area and the state," said Randell Iwasaki who is with Caltrans.

It has also served as an important cultural part of the community, by giving birth to Chicano Park in Barrio Logan.

"It was a very symbolic movement of a neighborhood taking back it's resources in a way that was unprecedented in our history, and we still celebrate that in Barrio Logan how we were able to take that land and turn it into a park that has been so good at serving so much of the community," explained San Diego City Council President Ben Hueso.

But the two mile bridge marked the end of an era in 1969, when ferries were the only transportation between San Diego and Coronado. When it opened, then-governor Ronald Reagan was one of the first to drive across it.

Principal architect Robert Mosher remembers fighting over the color of the bridge. Initial plans didn't call for blue, but red instead.

"I said you know, that's the wrong thing to do, because if you put a red flag in front of a bull, and you get in trouble," said Mosher. "Well, what do you want to paint it, I said, I want to paint it blue. I want it to be between the sky and the bay."

It took more than two years and $47.6 million to build and underwent $95 million in seismic retrofitting in 1997.

A $1.10 toll was removed in 2002, giving those 75,000 people who make the drive across the iconic structure every day a free ride with a fabulous view.

Over the years, there have been a few myths surrounding the design and construction of the bridge, including that the middle of the bridge can float. But according to the principal architect, there is no truth to that rumor.