The Golden Gate Bridge

The integrity of the bridge is now intact, but seismic engineers believe a $175 million retrofit is required to prevent a disaster. To design the retrofit supercomputers are being used to simulate an earthquake's effect on each part of the bridge. The retrofit will take approximately five years to complete and although its cost is significant, it represents only about one-tenth of the eventual $1.4 billion replacement cost of the Golden Gate Bridge. The retrofit will help reduce the amount of violent action caused by ground motion. To achieve this, several areas will be strengthened to secure the bridge when tremors arrive. The main work will occur on the structural steel, the approach viaducts, as well the concrete piers, pylons and anchorage housings. And the main cable saddles that run to the tops of the towers will be reinforced. The steel tower shafts and the struts that connect them will be overhauled . After work is complete, engineers hope that no matter how hard the bridge is hit, it will be able to remain open to emergency vehicles and that vehicle traffic will return within a month.

For now, everything remains the same on the Golden Gate. Vehicles rush to the city and tourists walk along the railings admiring the great view. So if you're one of the lucky ones to visit the landmark, remember where to look and when to get off.