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Gravina Island Bridge

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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.[1] The project encountered fierce opposition outside of Alaska as a symbol of pork barrel spending and is labeled as one of the more prominent "bridges to nowhere".[2]

Background

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".[3]

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).[4]

According to USA Today, the bridge was to have been nearly as long as the Golden Gate Bridge and taller than the Brooklyn Bridge.[5] The bridge would cross the Tongass Narrows, part of 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 shuttled 350,000 people in the same time period (as of December 2006).[6] To compare apples and oranges, the Golden Gate Bridge carried more than 43,000,000 vehicles in 2006, or about 118,000 vehicles each day.[7]

History

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.[8] In his speech on the Senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state.[9]

In 2005,[10] Congress stripped the specific earmark allocation of federal funds for the two bridges, without changing the amount of money allocated for use by Alaska.[11]

"In September [20th], 2006, Sarah Palin showed up in Ketchikan on her gubernatorial campaign and said the bridge was essential for the town's prosperity." [12][13]

During her campaign for Governor, Sarah Palin visited Ketchikan in September of 2006 to address her support for the Gravina Island Bridge project. At a forum in Ketchikan, Palin was seen holding up a t-shirt designed by a Ketchikan artist, Mary Ida Henrikson with "Nowhere Alaska 99901" on it, referencing the buzzword of Bridge to 'Nowhere', and the primary zip code of Ketchikan, Alaska. At the same forum, she was quoted: "OK, you’ve got Valley trash standing here in the middle of nowhere,” Palin said. “I think we’re going to make a good team as we progress that bridge project."[14]

On October 21, 2006 Alaska gubernatorial candidate Sarah Palin was quoted saying she would continue state funding for the bridge. "The window is now, while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist," she said.[15]

At a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Wasilla on October 27, 2006, Knowles criticized Palin for supporting the Knik Arm Bridge, Ketchikan's Gravina Island Bridge and the road north out of Juneau instead of rebuilding the Parks Highway. Then when Knowles got to Juneau he promised to build the Juneau road, plus a second bridge to Douglas Island. Only Palin is consistent in support all of the projects...[16]

In August 2007, Alaska's Department of Transportation stated that it was "leaning" toward alternative ferry options, citing bridge costs, despite having already received the funds from the federal government.[17]

The project was canceled in 2007 by bridge supporter [18] [19] [20] [21] Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who changed her view [22] [23] after national public opinion turned against the bridge for being wasteful spending.[24] Palin stated:

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.[25]

Asked why she initially supported the bridge, Palin's communications director Bill McAllister said, "It was never at the top of her priority list, and in fact the project isn't necessarily dead … there's still the potential for improved ferry service or even a bridge of a less costly design... She changed her mind, he said, when "she saw that Alaska was being perceived as taking from the country and not giving ..."[26]

The city of Ketchikan has already begun to develop roads and a small amount of infrastructure for the Gravina Island's 50 inhabitants. However, residents continue to seek funding for the Ketchikan-Gravina span.[27]

2008 campaign issue

On August 29, 2008, when introduced as Republican Presidential nominee John McCain's running mate, Palin told the crowd: "I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere" — a line that garnered big applause but upset political leaders in Ketchikan. Palin's campaign coordinator in the city, Republican Mike Elerding, remarked, "She said 'thanks but no thanks,' but they kept the money." Democratic Mayor Bob Weinstein also criticized Palin for using the very term 'bridge to nowhere' that she had said was insulting when she was in favor of the bridge.[28]

In early September, the McCain campaign released a television advertisement that said, "She stopped the Bridge to Nowhere."[29] Howard Kurtz called this a "whopper", writing: "She endorsed the remote project while running for governor in 2006, claimed to be an opponent only after Congress killed its funding the next year and has used the $223 million provided for it for other state ventures."[29]

References

  1. ^ 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)
  2. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04E7D81F3AF931A1575AC0A9619C8B63 Alaska: End Sought For 'bridge To Nowhere'
  3. ^ "Ketchikan Gravina Island Access Project". Alaska DOT. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  4. ^ Airport Ferry Fees
  5. ^ Jans, Nick (2005-05-17). "Alaska thanks you". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-11-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Ketchikan airport and ferry statistics for December 2006
  7. ^ "Annual Average Daily Truck Traffic on the California State Highway System, 2006, p. 169" (PDF).
  8. ^ Stevens Vehemently Opposes Coburn Amendment to Eliminate Alaska Bridges
  9. ^ 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)
  10. ^ Two Bridges to Nowhere Tumble Down in Congress
  11. ^ "'Bridge to nowhere' abandoned". CNN. 2007-09-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Alaska Governor Sarah Palin actively campaigning for the bridge project. Picture taken on September 20th, 2006.
  13. ^ http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/511471.html Governor Sarah Palin campaigns for the Bridge to Nowhere; 20 September 2006
  14. ^ http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/511471.html Palin touts stance on bridge project, doesn't note flip-flop
  15. ^ http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/510378.html Running for governor: where she stands
  16. ^ http://archive.ketchikandailynews.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/kdn/archive/2006/October/28/Unspecified/10282006_B-02.pdf.xml&start=60&numPer=20&keyword=bridge+2006&sectionSearch=&begindate=9%2F1%2F2006&enddate=11%2F1%2F2006&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords October 28, 2006: Palin Criticized during gubernatorial campaign for her support of Gravina Island Bridge
  17. ^ DOT 'leaning' toward ferries; cites bridge cost
  18. ^ http://archive.ketchikandailynews.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/kdn/archive/2006/September/21/LocalNews/5472.xml&start=0&numPer=20&keyword=bridge+2006+palin&sectionSearch=&begindate=1%2F1%2F2003&enddate=12%2F31%2F2008&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords September 21, 2006 Palin voiced initial support for the proposed Gravina Island bridge during campaign
  19. ^ http://archive.ketchikandailynews.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/kdn/archive/2006/October/02/LocalNews/5692.xml&start=20&numPer=20&keyword=bridge+2006&sectionSearch=&begindate=9%2F1%2F2006&enddate=11%2F1%2F2006&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords Palin defends the bridge project, asks people to band together
  20. ^ Candidate Palin Supported the Gravina Island Bridge project days before gubernatorial election.
  21. ^ http://archive.ketchikandailynews.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/kdn/archive/2006/October/28/Unspecified/10282006_B-02.pdf.xml&start=60&numPer=20&keyword=bridge+2006&sectionSearch=&begindate=9%2F1%2F2006&enddate=11%2F1%2F2006&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords October 28, 2006 Palin Criticized during gubernatorial campaign for her support of Gravina Island Bridge
  22. ^ http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/01/palin-was-for-the-bridge-to-nowhere-before-she-was-against-it/ September 1, 2008 Palin was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it
  23. ^ http://archive.ketchikandailynews.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/kdn/archive/2007/March/02/Unspecified/03022007_A-02.pdf.xml&start=0&numPer=20&keyword=bridge+2006+palin&sectionSearch=&begindate=1%2F31%2F2007&enddate=2%2F31%2F2007&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords February 3, 2007: Congress earmark alteration for Alaska prompts Governor Palin's new state budget without bridge.
  24. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-02-pork-voters_x.htm Negative public opinion forces lawmakers to protest wasteful projects nationwide.
  25. ^ State of Alaska (2007-09-21) Governor's office press release.
  26. ^ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977435685&grpId=3659174697244816&nav=Groupspace August 31, 2008: Palin changed her mind for public expediency
  27. ^ Without earmark, Ketchikan bridge project going nowhere
  28. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed7/idUSN3125537020080901 September 1 2008: Palin "bridge to nowhere" line angers many Alaskans
  29. ^ a b Kurtz, Howard (Sep. 8, 2008), "Claiming the 'Maverick' Brand", The Washington Post {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)

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