Standing 184 feet above the San Francisco Bay, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge has served as a vital commuter corridor for over 60 years. Connecting the residents of Marin and Contra Costa counties, the bridge runs 5.5 miles (or 29,040 feet) across Interstate 580 and serves over 80,000 vehicles a day. It’s what is known as a Pratt Truss style bridge, engineered so that the beams can handle large loads over long distances more effectively and efficiently. In short, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is a marvel of engineering that has reliably served untold millions for generations.
But in 2001, it was time for a retrofit.
After the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 rocked the Bay Area, the California Department of Transportation undertook the task to upgrade nearly every bridge in the Bay area so that, should another devastating earthquake strike the region, the bridges would be prepared.
The RSR Bridge retrofit would be particularly difficult because of its size and length. There was serious talk of shutting down the bridge, at times in its entirety, to allow engineers, workers, and craftsmen to work on such a massive project without the added hazards of constant traffic. But knowing that it would create more problems than it would solve, the decision was made to keep the bridge open at all times and allow traffic to flow while they worked on the bridge.
Between 2001 and 2005, the bridge was under constant construction for four years. The superstructure, underwater foundations, and even the pavement on the road underwent significant renovations to protect them from the possibility of an earthquake. And while road construction is never fun for commuters, the fact that the bridge remained open and in use all 4 years of the retrofit is, to this day, regarded as a feat of engineering and planning. Best of all, the retrofit was completed about $136M under budget, and today, the bridge confidently and safely serves more commuters than ever and is a true landmark in the region.
So why are we talking about bridges here?
Earlier this year, Leadership Circle undertook the task of retrofitting the Project Center login process to make it more secure and reliable. Like the RSR Bridge, the login for Project Center has always been safe and reliable, but given the complexities of the world, and the increasing number of cyber attacks that companies of all shapes and sizes face today, we felt it best to take a proactive step to make sure that no one, and we mean no one, can access Leadership Circle data unless they are authorized to do so.
Partnering with Auth0
When it comes to digital security, few names carry the reputation and reliability of Auth0. Now a part of Okta, Auth0 is a leading identity platform trusted by organizations across the globe to make login experiences both seamless and secure. Their specialty? Making sure the right people have access to the right resources without making it a hassle. Whether you’re logging into an app, a platform, or a portal like ours, Auth0 is the invisible layer of protection working in the background to keep your information safe and your experience smooth.
What makes Auth0 especially powerful is its balance of sophistication and simplicity. Their tools are built for developers, but designed with the end user in mind. That means enterprise-grade security measures—like anomaly detection, multi-factor authentication, and adaptive access—are quietly doing their job, while users enjoy a login process that just works. With Auth0, we’re partnering with a platform that has scaled identity solutions for some of the world’s most recognizable brands—and now, it’s helping us ensure Project Center stays just as reliable, trusted, and ready for what’s next.
What this Means for You
The only thing that will change for those who log in is that the login screen may look a little different. Other than that, nothing else changes. Your credentials will stay the same.
The Auth0 rollout will happen at the end of May and should be seamless. Of course, if you do run into issues, our customer service team is standing by to help at any time.
Upcoming Enhancements & What's Next
This marks another step towards making your experience with Leadership Circle safer, more secure, and easier overall. We are working on other enhancements as well including two-factor authentication and social sign-on, but for now, we wanted to make sure that the login process and the data behind that login is as secure as it can possibly be.
Like the Richmond San-Rafael bridge, we’re preparing for the future while still making sure you have access to everything you need to help further the conscious practice of leadership. Until the next update, keep on practicing!
