In 1872, Charles Crocker, a railroad entrepreneur, called for a bridge spanning the Golden Gate Strait. The strait, about 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, forms the entrance to San Francisco Bay, located in California, from the Pacific Ocean. In 1916, city officials asked Michael M. O'Shaughnessy, a San Francisco city engineer, to see if it was possible to build a bridge spanning the strait. While most engineers argued that a bridge could not be built and would cost about $100 million, Joseph Baermann Strauss argued that a bridge could be built easily and would only cost $25 to $30 million. After the lengthy process of getting the bridge design approved for construction, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge (“Golden Gate Bridge Research Library”) had begun on January 5, 1933. Major builders included Joseph Baermann Strauss, Irving Morrow, and Charles Ellis. Strauss had hired Irving Morrow to design small elements for the bridge such as walkways and street lamps. Morrow also made the bridge luxurious using a style called art deco (“Irving Morrow” and “Art Deco”). Since Morrow was to design the bridge, he knew it would play a significant role in its exposure to its surroundings. To this day, “the color blends seamlessly with the seasonal hues of the spans' natural surroundings against the San Francisco skyline and Marin hills” (“Golden Gate Bridge Research Library”). Meanwhile, Charles Ellis was the engineering expert. He was later accused by Strauss of wasting time and money working on the force equations at the Golden Gate Bridge. Ellis was then told not to go back to build the bridge. Ellis couldn't abandon the project because he had an ETC (card medium) system that allows drivers to pay bridge tolls in advance, eliminating the need to stop at a toll booth. plaza” (“FasTrak - Keeping the Bay Area Moving”). Although the bridge has been used every day since it opened, there were 3 days where it was closed due to high winds. On December 1, 1951 the bridge was closed for approximately 3 hours because winds were gusting at 69 miles per hour. On December 23, 1982, winds reached 70 miles per hour and the bridge was closed for nearly 2 hours. On December 3, 1983, the bridge closed for 3 hours and 27 minutes due to high winds of 75 miles per hour. Through those strong winds, the Golden Gate Bridge survived and suffered no damage ("Golden Gate Bridge Research Library"). Overall, the design and construction of the Golden Gate Bridge continues to be one of San Francisco's most legendary landmarks.