The debate over the concrete link to Coronado's beaches has been around a lot longer than the bridge itself. The bridge was completed in 1969 although proposals for the bridge began in 1888, when the Hotel del Coronado opened and the owners of the hotel wanted a more efficient way to bring in visitors. A drawbridge was nearly realized in 1926 when John D. Spreckels lobbied for one, but he died just before the county issued the franchise and threats from the Navy kept plans in the closet for several decades. The bridge retired its debt 15 years ahead of schedule thanks to a huge flow of tourists and Navy personnel.