Sydney Opera House (1959–1973)
Sydney approved construction of the Opera House in 1958, with groundbreaking in 1959 and a planned four-year build. Cost overruns and engineering problems stretched the work to 14 years.
The project ran massively over budget and a decade behind schedule.
It became a landmark example of how long large projects can take despite initial approvals.
Approvals and groundbreakings are starting points, not finish lines — the same applies to a single storefront's licensing.
