The Bay is alive with the sound of the Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge came alive this weekend, thanks in large part to the atmospheric river that brought plenty of rain and heavy winds to the Bay Area.

Wind gusts, which were expected to reach up to 60 miles per hour according to the National Weather Service, caused the Golden Gate Bridge to emit a whistling noise.

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The eerie noise first went viral on social media in June 2020, much to the curiosity, fascination and slight annoyance of nearby residents. Its source was a prior handrail retrofit, which was designed to make the western side of the bridge more aerodynamic on blustery days.

The new slats are sleeker than the bridge's old handrails but they can vibrate in strong winds.

At the time, The Marin Independent Journal reported that the retrofitting was part of the bridge's ongoing suicide barrier project. The barrier will be located on both sides of the bridge and includes a mesh metal net that officials say will act as a deterrent.

The retrofit was necessary as it would counter the wind resistance caused by the barrier.

Since the alterations, engineers have been tasked with finding a way to reduce the whistling.

In 2021, the bridge district's board of directors approved a $450,000 plan that would install thick tapered U-shape aluminum clips to the top and bottom of all of the affected slats, along with vibration damping material inserts placed between them.

The clips would then be painted orange to blend in visually with the rest of the bridge.

Once completed, it's estimated that the bridge's whistling in heavy winds would be cut down by 75 percent. While developers anticipated a late 2022 finish, much of the project hinges on how quickly materials can be manufactured.

Bay Area residents may hear the bridge sing 2022's swan song as more wind and rain is expected to hit the Bay Area this weekend.

San Francisco can expect a 90% chance of rain on Thursday. Wind speeds will be 6 to 10 miles per hour, with gusts up to 19 miles per hour.

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