<P> The state has been a pioneer in road construction . One of the state's more visible landmarks, the Golden Gate Bridge, was once the longest suspension bridge main span in the world at 4,200 feet (1,300 m) when it opened in 1937 . With its orange paint and panoramic views of the bay, this highway bridge is a popular tourist attraction and also accommodates pedestrians and bicyclists . The San Francisco--Oakland Bay Bridge (often abbreviated the "Bay Bridge"), completed in 1936, transports about 280,000 vehicles per day on two - decks . Its two sections meet at Yerba Buena Island through the world's largest diameter transportation bore tunnel, at 76 feet (23 m) wide by 58 feet (18 m) high . The Arroyo Seco Parkway, connecting Los Angeles and Pasadena, opened in 1940 as the first freeway in the Western United States . It was later extended south to the Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles, regarded as the first stack interchange ever built . </P> <P> Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the 6th busiest airport in the world, and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the 23rd busiest airport in the world, are major hubs for trans - Pacific and transcontinental traffic . There are about a dozen important commercial airports and many more general aviation airports throughout the state . </P> <P> California also has several important seaports . The giant seaport complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is the largest in the country and responsible for handling about a fourth of all container cargo traffic in the United States . The Port of Oakland, fourth largest in the nation, also handles trade entering from the Pacific Rim to the rest of the country . The Port of Stockton is the easternmost port on the west coast of the United States . </P> <P> The California Highway Patrol is the largest statewide police agency in the United States in employment with over 10,000 employees . They are responsible for providing any police - sanctioned service to anyone on California's state - maintained highways and on state property . </P>

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