The San Diego–Coronado Bridge is a 2.1-mile cable-stayed and box-girder bridge that curves through a 80-degree arc as it crosses San Diego Bay, rising to 200 feet above the water to allow naval vessels to pass beneath. It opened in 1969 and has become the most visually distinctive structure in the city's skyline — visible from Balboa Park, from the Embarcadero, and from the hills of Point Loma.
The bridge is not walkable (a long-standing local grievance), but the views of it are excellent from multiple points: the southern end of Seaport Village, Tidelands Park on the Coronado side, and Chicano Park directly beneath. The S-curve of the span from above — visible from aircraft or on Google Maps — is the result of height limitations, building restrictions, and the need to align with streets on both ends.
The 1969 opening ended the Coronado Ferry's monopoly on bay crossings; the ferry ceased operations shortly after. A passenger ferry service was reinstated in 1987 and continues today, making it possible to see the bridge from the water on a 15-minute crossing from the Broadway Pier.