We may borrow that metaphor to contemplate whether the recent U.S.-China dialogue in Anchorage was a bridge to nowhere or will be a catalytic moment to construct a . Milk the next few months for all you can license wise, nothing like a local celebrity to drive your image sales. Although you'll see lots of people picnicking and camping towards the beginning of the trail, as you trek further out closer to the bridge, it is much easier to find a place of your own. Sept. 19, 2008 12 AM PT. effective thing that the residents of Ketchikan could do to help Earmarking foes and fiscal . Sarah Palin let the "Road to Nowhere . In addition to the road itself, another $11 million was spent building a 700-foot-long tunnel under the Ketchikan airport runway to get to the Gravina Island Highway from the airport terminal. 662: Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011[4][5][6] However, residents continue to seek funding for the Ketchikan-Gravina span. Gov. One Sunday not that - couple of years ago, on the front of Parade, the insert in everybody's Sunday newspaper was the picture of the bridge. KETCHIKAN, Alaska (CNN) -- The "Bridge to Nowhere" may have been shelved. Assuming the In opposing The decision to build the road before the bridge was blasted in 2010 by the Legislature's audit division, which said it was "not in the public's best interest given the lack of congressional financial support for the bridges and the significant increase in estimated cost.". And so, the governor had no options." In August 2007, Alaska's Department of Transportation stated that it was "leaning" toward alternative ferry options, citing bridge costs and the reluctance of Governor Palin to pay the state's match to the appropriated federal funds. Despite the The National Park Service is all about funding for construction projects, so the Gilahina Trestle will probably be the recipient of some cash. It was good that this project was killed by Governor Palin, but it's not correct that it saved any money. Required fields are marked *. GRAVINA ISLAND, ALASKA . All rights reserved. It was paid for by some of the $223 million in federal funding that sparked ridicule among opponents of congressional "pork-barrel" spending. The 8,000 residents of Ketchikan continue to be connected to their airport by ferry. Today, the lonely Bridge to Nowhere still arcs gracefully over the San Gabriel River, providing one of Southern Californias oddest, albeit epic, hiking destinations. is Herbert and Joyce Morgan Senior Research Fellow in the Thomas A. would direct at most $75 million to Louisiana, with the remaining battlefield park jackson, ms . In fact, rumor has it this bridge was a model for San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Members of the Alaskan congressional delegation . A bridge to nowhere. Required fields are marked *. 662 passed both houses of Congress and became Public Law 112-5. [8], A ferry runs to the island every 30 minutes, and every 15 minutes during the MaySeptember peak tourist season. Its since fallen into some disrepair, as is evident from this image. When asked if he felt the road was "a waste of taxpayer money", he responded, "Without the bridge, yeah." It has also become an embarrassment to the . Construction of bridges was started at 1939 but at 1950 was by communist regime the construction of highway stopped. disaster in the Gulf States, it occurred to me that the most Well this helps put a face to the name. Seven fish-bearing streams needed bridges. Im sure the ferry owner is happy. sum of little consequence; what the Senator sees as a problem in by the House of Representatives, and finally cancelled in 2015. ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Even at $223 million, the earmarks for the bridge that was supposed to connect Ketchikan to Gravina Island, Alaska, population roughly 50, has had remarkably durable legs as a . Remember the "Bridge to Nowhere"? Bridge to Nowhere. 07/10/2012 04:43 AM EDT. Bridge to Nowhere. Built in 1911 as part of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway (nicknamed Cant Run and Never Will), the Gilahina Trestle was not quite 900 long, and nearly 100 high. "[47], Many media groups in the U.S. noted that Palin changed her position regarding the bridges, and concluded that she exaggerated her claim that she stopped the proposals from going through. It features wide shoulders and sweeping curves to handle the large volume of traffic the road was expected to see one day. It's redirected the money to other alternatives in Alaska and has gone to one project that's on the Gravina Island, it's a road project. But it still hopes to acquire more land there for future development, he said. Art Weiner wrote, "In a collective act of passion, the people of Great scenery, plenty of interesting details, and a clear, well-marked path. [14] In his speech on the Senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state. [7], 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". If youre looking for a fun adventure outside, this bridge to nowhere in Alaska is a great place to start! From Alaska's 'bridge to nowhere' to Pyongyang's Hotel of Doom, via a 1bn arts centre with a dodgy roof, here are the world's most high-profile wastes of capital . It is built of . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. KETCHIKAN, Alaska (CNN) -- The "Bridge to Nowhere" may have been shelved. The Ketchikan Daily News noted that, of the gubernatorial candidates, "Only Palin is consistent in support all of the projects". The road is not yet paved that was expected to happen following bridge construction. Bridge was reassembled at it's present site. Ive really enjoyed your photos. Last summer while I was in Ketchikan, I hiked upthe hill above town to get a better perspective of the destinationfor the Bridge to Nowhere. selfish shortsightedness in sending these scoundrels to Washington , Your email address will not be published. Many of the earmarks, he claimed, are Hi Annie. Today, the lonely Bridge to Nowhere still arcs gracefully over the San Gabriel River, providing one of Southern California's oddest, albeit epic, hiking destinations. The legend on the shirt was "Nowhere Alaska 99901", referencing the buzzword of "Bridge to Nowhere" and the primary ZIP code of Ketchikan. Market data provided by Factset. willingness of many in Alaska to give back the bridge to pay for June 30, 2022. Ketchikan, do not value the Gravina Island bridge project, its 15 Fascinating Things You Probably Didnt Know About Denali National Park. Local officials have said access to Gravina Island, population 50, is needed for the town and its economy to grow. ", David Raskin of [50][52], Alaska Department of Transportation spokesman Roger Wetherell disagreed, stating that Palin could have canceled the contract upon taking office and reimbursed contractors for any expenses incurred in association with the project, as happened when Palin cancelled a $18.6 million contract on a Juneau road and reimbursed the contractor for $65,500 in expenses. But she didn't attempt to void the already signed construction contracts for the approach road. The bridge to nowhere - sometimes called Garry Bridge lies beyond the Tolsta Village and is on the route of what was to be Lord Leverhulme's new route to Ness. WASHINGTON President Biden's push to make his $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill a truly bipartisan affair is running up against a predictable but intractable problem: a lack of Republicans willing to come along. Look at the highway bill that had 3,000 pork barrel projects on it including bridges to nowhere in Alaska. [3] Theres plenty of wildlife nearby, so pack bear spray, and stay vigilant along the trail. Bridge to Nowhere photo, Ketchikan, Alaska. The Gravina Island Bridge, commonly referred to as the "Bridge to Nowhere", was a proposed bridge to replace the ferry that currently connects the town of Ketchikan, Alaska, United States, with Gravina Island, an island that contains the Ketchikan International Airport as well as 50 residents. defenders have been forced to resort to threats. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. highway bill. You know, the senator has been committed to cutting wasteful spending for a long time. It's actually a nice road.". Dubbed the "Bridge to In the document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We will never spam or share your email! They have a bunch of snow out at McCarthy already, like a foot and a half or so I think. "It was built to the standard to be able to have traffic moving at a decent clip," said state Department of Transportation spokesperson Jeremy Woodrow. On October 20, 2005, H.R. [54] The motion lost and the funding was kept. SIEGEL: Was there any moment in Governor Palin's handling of this appropriation that can be construed as her saying thanks, but no thanks? Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D., I might be missing out on some business opportunities. Watch where road ends . But Weinstein, a Democrat, said Palin instead spent $26 million to build a road "that will not go to a bridge.". A proposed Alaska bridge that became a symbol of wasteful federal spending on politicians' pet projects has officially been scrapped a decade after the idea was first floated, state officials said on Friday. Ketchikan looks like a densely populated little strip. The window is now while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist. Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein calls the road, which was paid for by federal tax dollars, a waste of money that could have been used to fix his city's roads and sidewalks. You will only receive blog posts. Congress should be eager to zero out its funding. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. The bridge was projected to cost $398 million. Boudreau also spoke to the McCainPalin campaign spokesperson Meghan Stapleton, who defended the road: "The governor could not change that earmark. of a hurricane-damaged bridge in Louisiana. "Maybe the 200,000 people who cross that bridge every day would have been safer than spending $233 million of your tax dollars on a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it.". This covered bridge could have elevators and escalators; if medical personnel need to reach the ferry, they can use it. In the meantime, Bridge to Nowhere works for me. Youll come along the river about halfway through your hike, and its a good place to take a quick rest if you need one. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," says that he spoke with Gov.