Sure, I've waded through that mess before. The trick is treating each stone like a puzzle piece—measure, test, fit—then adding a layer of reinforcement that’s almost invisible. Modern codes are a necessary evil, but if you do the math right, you can keep the original soul while meeting safety. Just don’t let the bureaucracy scare you into cutting corners; that’ll break more than the bridge.

Paperwork’s the real beast, but I’ve learned to tame it with a solid checklist. I’ll keep the stones snug, the code happy, and the bridge still has room to whisper its own story.