Gravina Island Bridge: Difference between revisions
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The '''Gravina Island Bridge''' (also known as '''The Bridge to Nowhere''') was a proposed bridge to replace the [[ferry]] that currently connects [[Ketchikan, Alaska]], to the [[Ketchikan International Airport]] on [[Gravina Island]]. The bridge was projected to cost $398 million. Members of the Alaskan congressional delegation, particularly Rep. [[Don Young]] and Sen. [[Ted Stevens]], were the bridge's biggest advocates in Congress and helped push for federal funding.<ref>{{cite paper | title= $315 Million Bridge to Nowhere | author = Taxpayers for Common Sense | date = [[2005-08-22]] | url = http://www.taxpayer.net/Transportation/gravinabridge.htm | format = [[PDF]] | accessdate = 2006-11-06}}</ref> |
The '''Gravina Island Bridge''' (also known as '''The Bridge to Nowhere''') was a proposed bridge to replace the [[ferry]] that currently connects [[Ketchikan, Alaska]], to the [[Ketchikan International Airport]] on [[Gravina Island]]. The bridge was projected to cost $398 million. Members of the Alaskan congressional delegation, particularly Rep. [[Don Young]] and Sen. [[Ted Stevens]], were the bridge's biggest advocates in Congress and helped push for federal funding.<ref>{{cite paper | title= $315 Million Bridge to Nowhere | author = Taxpayers for Common Sense | date = [[2005-08-22]] | url = http://www.taxpayer.net/Transportation/gravinabridge.htm | format = [[PDF]] | accessdate = 2006-11-06}}</ref> The project encountered fierce opposition outside of Alaska as a symbol of [[pork barrel]] spending and was widely labeled ''"the bridge to nowhere."'' <ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04E7D81F3AF931A1575AC0A9619C8B63 Alaska: End Sought For 'bridge To Nowhere'</ref> |
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| ⚫ | In October 2005, Republican Senator [[Ted Stevens]] of Alaska became the object of strong media criticism when he opposed diverting the Gravina and [[Knik Arm Bridge]] funds to help aid recovery from [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref>[http://stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=73d6f214-4950-4b3c-a3a5-974e3a0ae163&Region_id=&Issue_id= Stevens Vehemently Opposes Coburn Amendment to Eliminate Alaska Bridges]</ref> In his speech on the Senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state.<ref name = "Ruskin">{{cite news | last = Ruskin | first = Liz | title = Stevens says he'll quit if bridge funds diverted | publisher = [[Anchorage Daily News]] | date = [[2005-10-21]] | url = http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7112853p-7020074c.html | accessdate = 2006-11-06 }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | According to the [[Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities]], the project's goal was to "provide better service to the airport and allow for development of large tracts of land on the island.<ref>{{cite web | title = Ketchikan Gravina Island Access Project | publisher = Alaska DOT | url = http://dot.alaska.gov/stwdplng/projectinfo/ser/Gravina/index1.shtml | accessdate = 2008-8-31 }}</ref> |
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In 2006, Alaska Governor [[Sarah Palin]] campaigned on a platform that included support for building the bridge using earmarked federal funds. |
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| ⚫ | A ferry runs to the island every 30 minutes during most of the year, except during the May–September peak tourist season when it runs every 15 minutes. It charges $5 per adult, with free same-day return, and $6 per automobile each way (as of 2008).<ref>[http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/airport/ferry_fees.htm Airport Ferry Fees]</ref> |
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In 2007, [[United States Congress|Congress]] stripped the specific earmark allocation of federal funds for the two bridges, without changing the the amount of money allocated for use by Alaska.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/22/alaska.bridge.ap/ | date = [[2007-09-22]] | work = CNN | title = 'Bridge to nowhere' abandoned}}</ref> Without the earmark from Congress, Alaska's portion of the bill would have doubled, from $160M (40%) to $329M (82%) of the bridge's cost.<ref name="Palin">[http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/510378.html AK Gov. Palin for the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it.]</ref> Despite the bridge being on hold, the Palin administration allocated tens of millions of dollars of federal funds to begin construction of the Gravina island road to an empty beach meant to link to the bridge. |
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| ⚫ | According to ''[[USA Today]]'', the bridge was to have been nearly as long as the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] and taller<!--higher means altitude; taller means height--> than the [[Brooklyn Bridge]].<ref>{{ cite news | last = Jans | first = Nick | title = Alaska thanks you | publisher = [[USA Today]] | date = [[2005-05-17]] | url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-05-17-alaska-edit_x.htm | accessdate = 2006-11-06 }}</ref> The bridge would cross the Tongass Narrows, part of the Alaska's [[Inside Passage]], so the bridge was designed to be tall enough to accommodate ship traffic, including the [[Alaska Marine Highway]] and the [[cruise ship]]s which frequent Alaskan waters during the summer. |
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| ⚫ | In August 2007, Alaska's DOT stated that it was "leaning" toward alternative ferry options, citing bridge costs, despite having already received the funds from the federal government.<ref>[http://www.ketchikandailynews.com/premium/314635183702147.php DOT 'leaning' toward ferries; cites bridge cost]</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Statistics show that Ketchikan's airport is the second largest in [[Southeast Alaska]] after [[Juneau International Airport]], handling over 200,000 passengers a year, while the ferry shuttles approximately a half million people in the same time period (as of December 2006).<ref>[http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/airport/documents/2006DECEMBER.pdf Ketchikan airport and ferry statistics for December 2006]</ref> For comparison, the Golden Gate Bridge carried an average of 118,000 vehicles each day in 2006.<ref name=calrpt2006>{{cite web | url = http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/saferesr/trafdata/truck2006final.pdf | title = Annual Average Daily Truck Traffic on the California State Highway System, 2006, p. 169 | format = PDF}}</ref> |
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The Alaskan state government cancelled the project in September 2007. |
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| ⚫ | In October 2005, Republican Senator [[Ted Stevens]] of Alaska became the object of strong media criticism when he opposed diverting the Gravina and [[Knik Arm Bridge]] funds to help aid recovery from [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref>[http://stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=73d6f214-4950-4b3c-a3a5-974e3a0ae163&Region_id=&Issue_id= Stevens Vehemently Opposes Coburn Amendment to Eliminate Alaska Bridges]</ref> In his speech on the Senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state.<ref name = "Ruskin">{{cite news | last = Ruskin | first = Liz | title = Stevens says he'll quit if bridge funds diverted | publisher = [[Anchorage Daily News]] | date = [[2005-10-21]] | url = http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7112853p-7020074c.html | accessdate = 2006-11-06 }}</ref> |
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{{quote|Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer. Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it’s clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island. Much of the public’s attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened.<ref>State of Alaska (2007-09-21). Governor's office press release. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20071214143302/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=623&type=1.</ref><ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/2656914/John-McCain-running-mate-Sarah-Palin-misled-Republican-supporters.html AK Gov. Palin regretfully cancels Bridge project]</ref> }} |
{{quote|Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer. Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it’s clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island. Much of the public’s attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened.<ref>State of Alaska (2007-09-21). Governor's office press release. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20071214143302/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=623&type=1.</ref><ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/2656914/John-McCain-running-mate-Sarah-Palin-misled-Republican-supporters.html AK Gov. Palin regretfully cancels Bridge project]</ref> }} |
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In August 2008, Governor [[Sarah Palin]] stated that "I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere." |
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The city of [[Ketchikan]] has already begun to develop roads and a small amount of infrastructure for the island's fifty (2000 census) inhabitants. However, residents continue to seek funding for the Gravina Island span.<ref>[http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/081907/sta_20070819015.shtml Without earmark, Ketchikan bridge project going nowhere]</ref> |
The city of [[Ketchikan]] has already begun to develop roads and a small amount of infrastructure for the island's fifty (2000 census) inhabitants. However, residents continue to seek funding for the Gravina Island span.<ref>[http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/081907/sta_20070819015.shtml Without earmark, Ketchikan bridge project going nowhere]</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | According to the [[Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities]], the project's goal was to "provide better service to the airport and allow for development of large tracts of land on the island.<ref>{{cite web | title = Ketchikan Gravina Island Access Project | publisher = Alaska DOT | url = http://dot.alaska.gov/stwdplng/projectinfo/ser/Gravina/index1.shtml | accessdate = 2008-8-31 }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | A ferry runs to the island every 30 minutes during most of the year, except during the May–September peak tourist season when it runs every 15 minutes. It charges $5 per adult, with free same-day return, and $6 per automobile each way (as of 2008).<ref>[http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/airport/ferry_fees.htm Airport Ferry Fees]</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | According to ''[[USA Today]]'', the bridge was to have been nearly as long as the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] and taller<!--higher means altitude; taller means height--> than the [[Brooklyn Bridge]].<ref>{{ cite news | last = Jans | first = Nick | title = Alaska thanks you | publisher = [[USA Today]] | date = [[2005-05-17]] | url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-05-17-alaska-edit_x.htm | accessdate = 2006-11-06 }}</ref> The bridge would cross the Tongass Narrows, part of the Alaska's [[Inside Passage]], so the bridge was designed to be tall enough to accommodate ship traffic, including the [[Alaska Marine Highway]] and the [[cruise ship]]s which frequent Alaskan waters during the summer. |
||
| ⚫ | Statistics show that Ketchikan's airport is the second largest in [[Southeast Alaska]] after [[Juneau International Airport]], handling over 200,000 passengers a year, while the ferry shuttles approximately a half million people in the same time period (as of December 2006).<ref>[http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/airport/documents/2006DECEMBER.pdf Ketchikan airport and ferry statistics for December 2006]</ref> For comparison, the Golden Gate Bridge carried an average of 118,000 vehicles each day in 2006.<ref name=calrpt2006>{{cite web | url = http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/saferesr/trafdata/truck2006final.pdf | title = Annual Average Daily Truck Traffic on the California State Highway System, 2006, p. 169 | format = PDF}}</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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Revision as of 01:51, 3 September 2008
The Gravina Island Bridge (also known as The Bridge to Nowhere) was a proposed bridge to replace the ferry that currently connects Ketchikan, Alaska, to the Ketchikan International Airport on Gravina Island. The bridge was projected to cost $398 million. Members of the Alaskan congressional delegation, particularly Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens, were the bridge's biggest advocates in Congress and helped push for federal funding.[1] The project encountered fierce opposition outside of Alaska as a symbol of pork barrel spending and was widely labeled "the bridge to nowhere." [2]
In October 2005, Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska became the object of strong media criticism when he opposed diverting the Gravina and Knik Arm Bridge funds to help aid recovery from Hurricane Katrina.[3] In his speech on the Senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state.[4]
In 2006, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin campaigned on a platform that included support for building the bridge using earmarked federal funds.
In 2007, Congress stripped the specific earmark allocation of federal funds for the two bridges, without changing the the amount of money allocated for use by Alaska.[5] Without the earmark from Congress, Alaska's portion of the bill would have doubled, from $160M (40%) to $329M (82%) of the bridge's cost.[6] Despite the bridge being on hold, the Palin administration allocated tens of millions of dollars of federal funds to begin construction of the Gravina island road to an empty beach meant to link to the bridge.
In August 2007, Alaska's DOT stated that it was "leaning" toward alternative ferry options, citing bridge costs, despite having already received the funds from the federal government.[7]
The Alaskan state government cancelled the project in September 2007.
Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer. Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it’s clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island. Much of the public’s attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened.[8][9]
In August 2008, Governor Sarah Palin stated that "I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere."
The city of Ketchikan has already begun to develop roads and a small amount of infrastructure for the island's fifty (2000 census) inhabitants. However, residents continue to seek funding for the Gravina Island span.[10]
History
According to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, the project's goal was to "provide better service to the airport and allow for development of large tracts of land on the island.[11]
A ferry runs to the island every 30 minutes during most of the year, except during the May–September peak tourist season when it runs every 15 minutes. It charges $5 per adult, with free same-day return, and $6 per automobile each way (as of 2008).[12]
According to USA Today, the bridge was to have been nearly as long as the Golden Gate Bridge and taller than the Brooklyn Bridge.[13] The bridge would cross the Tongass Narrows, part of the Alaska's Inside Passage, so the bridge was designed to be tall enough to accommodate ship traffic, including the Alaska Marine Highway and the cruise ships which frequent Alaskan waters during the summer.
Statistics show that Ketchikan's airport is the second largest in Southeast Alaska after Juneau International Airport, handling over 200,000 passengers a year, while the ferry shuttles approximately a half million people in the same time period (as of December 2006).[14] For comparison, the Golden Gate Bridge carried an average of 118,000 vehicles each day in 2006.[15]
References
- ^ Taxpayers for Common Sense (2005-08-22). "$315 Million Bridge to Nowhere" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-11-06.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04E7D81F3AF931A1575AC0A9619C8B63 Alaska: End Sought For 'bridge To Nowhere'
- ^ Stevens Vehemently Opposes Coburn Amendment to Eliminate Alaska Bridges
- ^ Ruskin, Liz (2005-10-21). "Stevens says he'll quit if bridge funds diverted". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "'Bridge to nowhere' abandoned". CNN. 2007-09-22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ AK Gov. Palin for the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it.
- ^ DOT 'leaning' toward ferries; cites bridge cost
- ^ State of Alaska (2007-09-21). Governor's office press release. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20071214143302/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=623&type=1.
- ^ AK Gov. Palin regretfully cancels Bridge project
- ^ Without earmark, Ketchikan bridge project going nowhere
- ^ "Ketchikan Gravina Island Access Project". Alaska DOT. Retrieved 2008-8-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Airport Ferry Fees
- ^ Jans, Nick (2005-05-17). "Alaska thanks you". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Ketchikan airport and ferry statistics for December 2006
- ^ "Annual Average Daily Truck Traffic on the California State Highway System, 2006, p. 169" (PDF).