‘Eerie’ or ‘sad?’ Listen to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge ‘sing’ in high winds

Why has the landmark Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco started “singing” in high winds?

Also described as a “humming” or “whistling” sound, the noise can be heard throughout downtown, baffling residents and visitors, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The noise is the result of wind hitting newly installed sidewalk railing slats designed to help the 83-year-old span better withstand high winds, KQED reports.

“The new musical tones coming from the bridge are a known and inevitable phenomenon that stem from our wind retrofit during very high winds,” said Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz of the Bridge District, according to the station.

There are no plans to alter or remove the slats, which are considered necessary, KQED reported.

“Even when we were walking up toward the bridge from around Battery East and Lincoln Boulevard, we heard something very sad,” said Shirin Kermani, CNN reported. “Like a loud didgeridoo or meditation song being played all around us.”

But Ray Ryan called the sound “haunting yet kind of beautiful,” according to the network.

This story was originally published June 7, 2020 at 4:40 PM with the headline "‘Eerie’ or ‘sad?’ Listen to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge ‘sing’ in high winds."