About eighty years ago, engineers were able to build a bridge on time and on budget without any problems; today, most projects require extra time and money to complete. What exactly happened between now and eighty years ago that caused such a drastic change? It's clearly not the engineers or the technology; in fact, those have only gotten better over time. Today, engineers face much more than just designing and building infrastructure, as was the case in the past. They compete with politicians for funds, fight for worker safety, and protect our environment by adhering to the many laws and acts established by the government. In the future we can only expect higher costs, longer project times and an increase in costs and types of materials. For example, the Bay Bridge, which connects the cities of Oakland and San Francisco in California, is a perfect example of how engineering techniques and costs change over time. First built in the 1930s, this bridge has become an icon of the Bay Area and, over time, all of California. Rebuilt more than 80 years later, this bridge was an example of politics, social standards and environmental impact. The financial and political difference has clearly changed over time, but today it stands tall and enlightened and unites the two cities. The San Francisco Bay Bridge was built in 1936. In the 1930s, it was not only much faster but also much cheaper to reach. build a bridge. Today there are many requirements to satisfy during a project. One such obligation is the National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA, which requires engineers and contractors planning a project to take environmental impacts into account. Since this wasn't done in the 1930s, contractors and engineers saved four years...half of paper...Federal Highway Administration. FRP- Materials - Bridge Structures. August 7, 2013. March 5, 2014. Fontana, Henry. “Building a bridge to (and to) the future.” October 12, 2009. The New Yorker. March 5, 2014. Hamburg, Laura. “Span design displeases East Bay.” SFGate. June 11, 1998. March 10, 2014. .Newman, Morris. “Controversy swirls around proposed Bay Bridge redesign.” California Planning and Development Report. October 1, 1998. March 10, 2014. .Vorderbrueggen, Lisa. “Building the Bay Bridge: 1930s vs. Today.” MercuryNews.com. 10 August 2013. Web. 10 March. 2014. .