A Tale of Two Bridges

During the same week that the French open a breathtaking and marvelous new bridge, the Governator announces that the new eastern span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge will not be the distinctive design currently in progress, but shall be a far less expensive option utterly without artistic merit.

With California on the verge of bankrupcy, cost savings are on Ahhhnold's mind -- but supporters of a grander span think that he should consider the psychological impact of a more beautiful bridge.

On NPR, San Francisco architect John Kriken notes that, "cities are reflections of their aspirations at any given time. One generation gives us these great bridges... our generation is giving us something equivalent to an expressway." Kriken also notes that the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge's equally impressive western span were built during the Great Depression, yet their builders still managed to include aesthetic qualities that we Bay Area denizen find grand today.