96 workers died building the Hoover Dam. In 8 years it will be 100 years since Construction started on the Hoover Dam. It seems like the US just isn't able to make projects like that anymore. Look at the progress of California's HSR,started by Governor Pete Wilson, who established the California High-Speed Rail Authority in 1996. 27 years ago. We have a century's advancement in technology, but the costs of construction, and inability to deal with risk has become a gigantic problem