be used for infrastructure reconstruction in the hurricane-affected Foundation. [15] On November 16, 2005, Congress stripped the specific earmark allocation of federal funds for the two bridges in the final edition of the omnibus spending bill, without changing the amount of money allocated for use by Alaska. BH Photo #131225 Pass San Gabriel Reservoir and turn right on East Fork Road. In the 2008 presidential campaign, two projects in Alaska were ridiculed as examples of pork-barrel . They called the state's decision premature, saying it came without warning. I would not get in the way of progress. Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users "Bridge to Nowhere", "Alaska: End Sought For 'Bridge To Nowhere', "Two 'Bridges to Nowhere' Tumble Down in Congress", House Vote #159 (Mar 2, 2011) On Motion to Recommit with Instructions: H R 662 Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011, "Alaska 'bridge to nowhere' plan is no more as state chooses ferry for Ketchikan", "Ketchikan Gravina Island Access Project", "Airport Ferry - Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK", "Ketchikan airport and ferry statistics for December 2006", "Gravina Access Project, Record of Decision, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Ketchikan, Alaska. That's progress. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. The cart was put before the horse when road builders constructed a massive concrete bridge over the San Gabriel River in 1936. some of its pork, they fear, so might they. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. "The concentration is not going to be on a $400 million bridge.". Guest Blogging: Bridges to Nowhere and Beyond Arguably his most controversial move came in 2005, when he pushed to get more than $200m (107m) of federal earmarked to build Alaska's "bridge to nowhere", a project that was ultimately dropped . I sure enjoyed my visit to your beautiful town! DOT says that the highway will still be useful to reach land on Gravina Island even without the bridge. 3058 [109th]'s first version passed the U.S. Senate with 93 votes for, 1 against. . Tell me about that. This covered bridge could have elevators and escalators; if medical personnel need to reach the ferry, they can use it. Organise, control, distribute, and measure all of your digital content. Senator told a closed-door meeting of conservatives that the plan FHWA-AK-EIS-03-01-F, DOT&PF Project 67698, Federal Project ACHP-0922(5)", "H.R. It's one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos This is all very cool, but it means calling the watercourse the Gilahina river actually translates as Gilahi river river. She said the best option would be to upgrade the ferry system. The town seven blocks wide and eight miles long has little room to grow. When new Gov. How can we help to get that bridge to no where? "Much of the public's attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here," Palin said. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. While discussing the Gravina Island Bridge during an ABC News interview that aired on September 12, 2008, Charles Gibson made the following comment: "but it's now pretty clearly documented. You know, wearing shirts that said I'm from nowhere Alaska to saying, we have to support our congressional delegation, their efforts to bring money back to our state. transportation priorities instead of a useless bridge that would What did you think? Sarah is speaking in Anchorage on Saturday, but I would rather be in Denali thats where Im heading! I agree and consent to receiveemails from Visit California and its partners with special offers and exclusive content and that I am at least 18 years old, Its all form and no function at this architectural marvel. The trail crosses the river so often that you quickly abandon all hope of dry feet. recognizing that the citizens of Alaska, including many in the bridge to nowhere is a unique and historical landmark in the development of new zealand. 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. find themselves tarred by the same brush dipped in the muck of the Alaska officials have put the final kibosh on the infamous "bridge to nowhere" -- a $400 million project tucked into the federal transportation plan 10 years ago that became the symbol of . "[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. A local newscast about Sarah Palin's history on the infamous pork project. In stump speeches, Alaska Gov. One House Thank you! You need to come visit the Clearwater/St.Pete area of Florida. Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and its clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island. Yeah the downtown area is a pretty dense, but there are a couple roads leading out of town to some less populated and much more scenic areas. ", In the Ketchikan DOT officials at the time said that if they didn't then continue with the bridge, they might be required to pay back to the federal government the $28 million it spent on the road. As anyone running for statewide office in Alaska, to oppose a project like this would have been a political suicide. Don Barrett/Flickr. [49], After canceling the bridge, Palin's administration spent more than $25 million to build the Gravina Island Highway, which would have connected with the proposed bridge. . The 3.2-mile road was built at a cost of $28 million by Kiewit Pacific Co. of Anchorage. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Funding for the "Bridge to Nowhere" was continued as of March 2, 2011, in the passing of H.R. the blue duck lodge located in the whanganui national park is a working cattle farm with a focus on conservation. Click for larger version. Spanning the Gila River, the McPhaul Bridge was built in 1929 and is just shy of 800 feet in length. SIEGEL: Senator McCain has been assailing the Bridge to Nowhere as the epitome of what's wrong with Washington ever since the spring of 2004. Have any photos of the people Palin fired? The one section to the left looks like it is about to fall down already. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 17 July, 2021 Pictured: Children jump off the famous Bridge to Nowhere at Belhaven Bay in Dunbar as the sun sets on the Bass Rock. its remote location makes it a rare tourist sigh - bridge to nowhere stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images [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. Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of HuMu Media, an Alaska-based media company. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. 8,000) by a bridge nearly as long as the Golden Gate and higher . Construction of bridges was started at 1939 but at 1950 was by communist regime the construction of highway stopped. Im sure the ferry owner is happy. Others called it the bridge to nowhere. And one night, had a couple beers in me, and I got a little more creative and I came up with the term Bridge to Nowhere. [54] The motion lost and the funding was kept. The governor urged Alaskans not to dwell on the bridge. There is a lot of snow out there already, or is this from last year? "Maybe if we had done it right, maybe some of that money would have gone to inspect those bridges and other bridges around the country," McCain told a group of people in a town-hall style meeting in Ankeny, Iowa. Tag #VISITCALIFORNIA on Instagram to have your trip featured on our page. Not all the people in that community even were asking for a $400 million or $300 million bridge. The Adults-Only Island In Alaska Where You Can Enjoy Some Much-Needed Peace And Quiet, This Enchanting And Historic Town In Alaska Is The Perfect Trip Destination, Denali Park Road To Mountain Vista Is Now Open Heres What You Need To Know, 4 Must-Visit Flea Markets In Alaska Where Youll Find Awesome Stuff, Follow The River On This Simple 2 Mile Hike Through The Mountains In Alaska, Follow This Abandoned Railroad Trail For One Of The Most Unique Hikes In Alaska, This Abandoned Railway Hike In Alaska Is A Historic Treasure, The Easy, Scenic Horseshoe Lake Trail In Alaska Is A Trail The Whole Family Will Enjoy. sum of little consequence; what the Senator sees as a problem in the blue duck lodge located in the whanganui national park is a working cattle farm with a focus on conservation. Well this helps put a face to the name. But ferry access isn't likely to provide the kind of developable land Ketchikan needs, he said. Yep, looks wide enough for perhaps at least a 2 lane paved highway maybe a Micky Ds rest stop over there at the end. In American politics, Alaska is famous for wasted money on a "bridge to nowhere" in the early 2000s. She changed her mind, he said, when "she saw that Alaska was being perceived as taking from the country and not giving". disaster relief, Alaska's congressional delegation has dug in its Art Weiner wrote, "In a collective act of passion, the people of their august institution of democracy still maintains the moral House and Senate Republican negotiators take legislative wrecking ball to two Alaskan 'bridges to nowhere' that have become national symbols of spending excess and political albatross; federal . But I made it out for a few photos and back in one piece. The bridge was built in 1929 in the name of Henry Harrison McPhaul, a notable resident of Yuma. $220 Million+ For A Bridge To An Island With 50 People?!? Thanks Kristen I would love to visit Florida someday! In 1938, a flood washed out the partly completed road to the south, leaving the 120-foot-high structure stranded. No Thanks Add This Place . It is showing the years isnt it. Further driving up costs were all the muskeg and peat that had to be removed and replaced with rock and gravel to get through the wetlands. So, we're going to have to make some tough choices. In the years 1965-1975 was carried construction of a water reservoir Svihov and both bridges were flooded almost to the level . Here is a link to the map and story about the other nowhere bridge (the one to Sen Murkowski and shortcut to Wasilla) Alaska Congressmen Attempt to Earmark 'Bridge to Nowhere' For Personal Profiteering. Ketchikan, Alaska is infamous for the now-abandoned plan to expensively bridge the strait between the city and its international airport on Gravina Island, dubbed (IMO, unfairly) a "bridge to nowhere". [13], On October 21, 2005, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) offered an amendment to remove funds for the Gravina Island and Knik Arm bridges, and divert the funds to rebuild a bridge over Lake Pontchartrain that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. H.R. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened. Members of the Alaskan congressional delegation, particularly Representative Don Young and Senator Ted Stevens, were the bridge's biggest advocates in Congress, and helped push for federal funding. SIEGEL: Called by its critics, The Bridge to Nowhere, that was April 10th. Meandering through a forest, and along a gorgeous river, this hike offers it all. 07/10/2012 04:43 AM EDT. pictures of the bridge to nowhere in alaska. 1. It's the term she used. With stunning scenery, a beautiful bridge, and the Alaska Railroad nearby, this great hike should be on your Alaska bucket list. [38][39][40][41] 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. So the tipping point, according to McCain was a year before Palin ran in Alaska supporting the bridge. The hike starts out weaving in and out the trees beneath the shaded cover of a well maintained path. The decision in September 2004 was actually for two bridges, connecting Pennock Island in the middle, and is known as Alternative F1. Palin could have stopped construction of this road," said Weinstein, who wore his "Nowhere, Alaska" T-shirt to an interview with CNN. Sarah Palin came into office after having ousted Murkowski in the 2006 primary, she stopped the bridge project, saying it had lost congressional support. Ketchikan's airport is the second largest in Southeast Alaska, after Juneau International Airport, and handled over 200,000 passengers a year or 550 per day, while the ferry shuttled 350,000 people in the same time period (as of December2006[update]).[11]. The Daily Caller News Foundation is working hard to balance out the biased American media. Its since fallen into some disrepair, as is evident from this image. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. (population 8,900) with its airport on the Island of Gravina But Palin, now the Republican vice presidential candidate, let the access road go ahead because the contract to build it had been signed, a campaign aide said. The bridge was projected to cost $398 million. Following the construction of the island highway, the $28 million expenditure wound up being used by both bridge supporters to make the case for construction and bridge critics who called it a boondoggle. However, residents continue to seek funding for the Ketchikan-Gravina span. 23 Juin juin 23, 2022. pictures of the bridge to nowhere in alaska. Bridge Cordova Alaska | Miles Glacier Bridge (Million Dollar Bridge), Cordova, Alaska. [21][22][23][24][25], During her inaugural address on December 4, 2006, Governor Palin pledged responsible spending. Its a 10-mile round-trip hike on the East Fork Trail along the San Gabriel River. 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. Senator's numbers are right, Alaska's Department of Transportation Was it beautiful? I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. Or if your idea of fun is plunging off the side of a bridge, a bungee cord attached to catch your fall, then you could be up there too. GRAVINA ISLAND, ALASKA . Bridge to Nowhere. JUNEAU -- The name "Bridge to Nowhere" still rankles in Ketchikan 10 years after congressional opponents of earmarks used it to attack federal money for the bridge to nearby Gravina Island and the city's airport. Thanks for the Ketchikan perspective. would direct at most $75 million to Louisiana, with the remaining Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A trail proceeds from their to the mining area at Taylor, Alaska. We Don't Need Another "Bridge to Nowhere". the removal of the project in a technical corrections bill or other its discretion for road projects. In response to an inquiry of whether Palin could have stopped construction, Stapleton told Boudreau that Palin had "no viable alternative" because Congress had already granted the earmark and the contract for the road was signed before Palin took office. There were a few different options created for the bridge and Im not sure what the final decision was as I moved from the area a few years ago, but I know several of the plans had the bridge quite a ways south of town, which would mean having to build a new road over on Gravina through an area that is not currently developed. Post-Convention Check-In With The Political Junkie. would gain $148 million in money it could spend on the state's Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," says that he spoke with Gov. present, a ferry service runs to the island, but some in the town Bridge was reassembled at it's present site. Anchorage Daily News, Diane Mucha of Eagle River wrote, "Of The Luten Bridge Co. offers a window into a southern community's struggles with a divided social order, the introduction of wealth into local politics, and a changing economy. Required fields are marked *. Par . All rights reserved. The Gilahina Trestle, crossing the Gilahina River, was once an impressive structure. Keep up the great work! The trail is graded and well-marked and youll climb no more than 374 feet of elevation throughout the hike. I think were going to make a good team as we progress that bridge project" in response to an insult expressed by the state Senate president, Ben Stevens. The earmark for the infamous Alaska bridge, referred to as the "bridge to nowhere" allocated $223 million dollars to build a bridge from Ketchikan, Alaska, to a tiny island. Miles Glacier Bridge, Alaska, damaged by a 1964 earthquake (photograph by Jet Lowe) Birmingham, . Theres plenty of wildlife nearby, so pack bear spray, and stay vigilant along the trail. If youre looking for a fun adventure outside, this bridge to nowhere in Alaska is a great place to start! "It kind of just curves around then it just stops. Good luck getting some of your photos licensed/sold during the next few months! of Alaska Sarah Palin holds a T-shirt with the zip code for Ketchikan, Alaska, on it at a gubernatorial campaign forum in September 2006. Now, thanks to recent news events, this image just may havea life after all. [1] The project encountered fierce opposition outside Alaska as a symbol of pork barrel spending and is labeled as one of the more prominent "bridges to nowhere". "The governor was left no viable alternative," Stapleton said. Thanks for sharing! the bridge to nowhere is a unique and historical landmark in the development of new zealand. heels, and many of the delegation's colleagues, including all of It has also become an embarrassment to the I never did anything with this photo, once the funding was lost and the project fell out of the news, the image had little value . Stevens spokesman Aaron Saunders said Friday the senator was interested in how the state ultimately used the money. is Herbert and Joyce Morgan Senior Research Fellow in the Thomas A. The 3.2-mile-long partially paved "road to nowhere" meanders from a small international airport on Gravina Island, home . Ron Niebrugge September 9, 2008 Alaska, Photos, Travel 13 Comments. At All rights reserved. It's a 10-mile round-trip hike on the East Fork Trail along the San Gabriel River. Alaska Rep. Don Young brought the world the "Bridge to Nowhere.". But Alaska still got the money. But I made it out for a few photos and back in one piece. They have a bunch of snow out at McCarthy already, like a foot and a half or so I think. "Leadership staffer suggested that retribution could be levied for Your email address will not be published. KETCHIKAN, Alaska (CNN) -- The "Bridge to Nowhere" may have been shelved. [53], In 2011 (after Palin had left office), there was continued funding for the project in H.R. "There's no one on this road," she said. [48] According to the Los Angeles Times, for instance, while seeking votes for her governorship race, Palin told Ketchikan residents that she backed the "bridge to nowhere"; as governor, she spent the money elsewhere and moved ahead with a $26-million road to the nonexistent bridge. This is looking from Ketchikan across the Tongass Narrows to Gravina Island, the destination of the bridge. Then-Gov. This is the sort of challenge that fiscally "It's getting more and more use all the time," he said. In November 2006, Sarah Palin is elected and from what we can tell, she was supporting it. Thank you, Teresa Haney, Your email address will not be published. In opposing Read Abbie Boudreau's "backstory" blog on "Road to nowhere". Let us know in the comments below! For the first two weeks of her campaign, Palin routinely told audiences in her stump speech that she told Congress "thanks, but no thanks" for the bridge, which was backed by the leaders of Alaska's congressional delegation. Every flight into Gravina Island requires a 15-minute ferry ride to reach the more densely populated Revillagigedo Island. "There is no question we desperately need to construct new roads in this state, including in southeast Alaska, where skyrocketing costs for the Alaska Marine Highway System present an impediment to the state's budget and the region's economy," von Scheben said in a statement. Perhaps the Port and the City team up and construct a bridge near Harbor Square. Miles Glacier Bridge is a four-span through truss bridge located in the U.S. state of Alaska. That had to be spent on the Gravina road and nothing else. Never mind that State officials eventually announced the end of the potential building in 2015. If youre visiting Denali National Park, youll want to read all about these15 Fascinating Things You Probably Didnt Know About Denali National Park. It spans a deep gorge overlooking the lovely Garry beach, one of the prettiest in the Outer Hebrides. "We will continue to look for options for Ketchikan to allow better access to the island," the Republican governor said. serve a tiny fraction of the state's citizens. of a hurricane-damaged bridge in Louisiana. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, threat. "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. The National Park Service is all about funding for construction projects, so the Gilahina Trestle will probably be the recipient of some cash. Please contact us through messages. area.". 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.".
