For decades, one of the most iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge has been framed by a heavy, sea-weathered iron chain along San Francisco’s road to historic Fort Point. Now, that chain is getting an upgrade — and many Bay Area residents are not happy about it.
“Hey let’s take one of the really charming parts of the city and instead put in this pre school looking railing,” said one Reddit user, chiming into a cacophony of disappointment on the platform last week. “How this got accepted from a design standpoint borders on depressing.”
“Doesn’t border, full on embraces bottom of the barrel depressing,” replied another.
Although the dark, heavy, linked loop chains conjure visions of San Francisco’s seafaring days, the old barriers — which featured in many photos of the bridge over the last three decades — have only been in place since the 1990s, said Golden Gate National Recreation Area spokesperson Julian Espinoza.
“The previous non-historic cement-and-chain barrier has been well loved by many, but it’s just one of several designs that have been in place at that location,” Espinoza said. “For anyone old enough to remember how Marine Drive appeared in the 1950s, this new barrier will look closer to that earlier design.”
The new nondescript replacement railing, made of standard aluminum, will be more weather-resistant, Espinoza said, and will also expand the width of Marina Drive. It will be a two-rail barrier 36 inches tall. It’s made to withstand the “harsh marine environment” around Fort Point, he continued, which had weakened the chains of the last barrier so much that many sections had already been replaced far before the new project began.
Despite the improvements, many had grown to love the rusty, corroded loop chain along the sea wall, with one Reddit user saying it made the view feel “natural and untouched.”
“RIP, character, and historical vibe,” wrote another.
The old chains might have looked more antiquated, but according to the federal contract for the barrier’s construction, they weren’t “historically accurate” to the time period when the famed seawall was built. From the beginning of its construction in 1869 to 1945, there was no barrier at all along the seawall, the contract states.
“We recognize some will consider this a big change, but the incredible views of the fort, Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay remain and those tend to be the focal points for most visitors to that area,” said Espinoza.
From Dec. 14 to Jan. 24, the National Park Service said there will be intermittent lane closures on Marine Drive as crews work to replace the old links with the new barrier. Until then, some city residents are doing everything they can to savor the chains before they’re gone — with one user on X, formerly Twitter, taking a piece of concrete from the old guardrail home with her after a run.
“Here’s the new rail,” the user, @raffcitybish, posted on X soon after. “Hit that like button if you think it’s ugly!”