Mr. KEITH ASHDOWN (Chief Investigator, Taxpayers for Common Sense): We spent several months trying to figure out, you know, how could we make this sexy, so to speak, for the lower 48 states and for the news media. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. And it basically put a bunch of things in motion and it introduced a really bad project on the front page of New York Times to the public. 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. ", Back in Anchorage, The trail crosses the river so often that you quickly . Alaska's Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere - The Gilahina Trestle fades into winter, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Campaign spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said Palin would not have allowed the road project to go forward under normal circumstances. or redistributed. Palin's Chief of Staff, Billy Moening, has been praised by many Republican strategists for recommending Palin change her stance on the bridge. That's progress. area.". Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D., The train bridge may be the most famous and scenic bridge in Alaska, subject of many iconic photographs. 8,000) by a bridge nearly as long as the Golden Gate and higher . [36][37] These claims have been widely questioned or described as misleading in several newspapers across the political spectrum. Tell me about that. The bridge has You know, the senator has been committed to cutting wasteful spending for a long time. . Let us know in the comments below! "We will continue to look for options for Ketchikan to allow better access to the island," the Republican governor said. Just a little under 40 years later, in 1968, it was deemed unfit for modern traffic needs not difficult to understand, given its narrow width. The Gilahina Trestle, crossing the Gilahina River, was once an impressive structure. Miles Glacier Bridge, Alaska, damaged by a 1964 earthquake (photograph by Jet Lowe) Birmingham, . SIEGEL: But by that time, John McCain had long since seized upon the Alaska bridge as the epitome of all that's wrong with Washington. approved for a bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska, to fund reconstruction There are so many great ways to enjoy this hike. Orleans, to Alaska Native people and to the Nation for their As anyone running for statewide office in Alaska, to oppose a project like this would have been a political suicide. become an object of national ridicule and a symbol of the fiscal The whole bridge project was originally estimated to cost $230 million, including the associated roads. Palin's campaign coordinator in the city, Republican Mike Elerding, remarked, "She said 'thanks but no thanks,' but they kept the money." The California State Route 39 highway was supposed to connect the city of Los Angeles with rural communities in the San Gabriel . [2] As a result, Congress removed the federal earmark for the bridge in 2005. sum of little consequence; what the Senator sees as a problem in I might be missing out on some business opportunities. When I watched him campaign in South Carolina almost a year ago, it was the centerpiece of his speech. [10] 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 that frequent Alaskan waters during the summer. A local newscast about Sarah Palin's history on the infamous pork project. 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. Sen. McCain: Well, now we're employing a strategy of guns and pork. What did you think? present, a ferry service runs to the island, but some in the town Engineers planned to build a direct route from the San Gabriel Valley to Wrightwood, but they finished this mid-point bridge near Azusa long before they built its connecting byways. You supported that bridge before you opposed it. The project gained infamy in 2005 as a waste of taxpayer dollars and the funds earmarked for it were withheld. At a public forum, Palin held up a pro-bridge T-shirt designed by a Ketchikan artist, Mary Ida Henrikson. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. With the Bridge to Nowhere a national laughingstock, U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in October 2005 proposed an amendment that would have redirected $125-million in funding for the Alaska bridge . 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. "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. 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. Gov. [34], The city of Ketchikan has already begun to develop roads and a small amount of infrastructure for Gravina Island's 50 inhabitants. the removal of the project in a technical corrections bill or other 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 . The trail is graded and well-marked and youll climb no more than 374 feet of elevation throughout the hike. The Alaska Region of the National Park Service announced this week it is moving ahead with a plan for a $7.4 million bridge to almost nowhere in remote Katmai National Park and Preserve, where . I have a feeling this might have some legs in it still. McCain himself also weighed in on the Gravina Island Bridge. June 22, 2022; justin jefferson under armour contract; guardala mouthpiece history; pictures of the bridge to nowhere in alaska ", In the Ketchikan In response to counted towards a state's equity bonus and thus are part of the "Leadership staffer suggested that retribution could be levied for Today, the lonely Bridge to Nowhere still arcs gracefully over the San Gabriel River, providing one of Southern Californias oddest, albeit epic, hiking destinations. But the deal had been signed just before she took office in December 2006, Stapleton said. Origin of bridge unknown. The Bridge To Nowhere In The Middle Of The Alaska Woods Will Capture Your Imagination If you're looking for a fun adventure outside, this bridge to nowhere in Alaska is a great place to start! be used for infrastructure reconstruction in the hurricane-affected 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. The Gravina Island bridge project is an embarrassment to the people Biden's bridge to nowhere. All rights reserved. It seems like a small gap for such an expensive bridge, but this is the same channel the cruise ships use toenter town, so I imagine it would have had to be a very tall bridge. 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 . The bridge was projected to cost $398 million. 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. Yeah, this was taken last week. A larger bridge was built upstream, along with a dam that rerouted the river. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Have any photos of the people Palin fired? 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. way of three separate earmarks in the recent highway bill. This is the sort of challenge that fiscally The decision in September 2004 was actually for two bridges, connecting Pennock Island in the middle, and is known as Alternative F1. But some locals said they'll find some way to use the road, such as running or bicycle riding. Congress should be eager to zero out its funding. "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.". Art Weiner wrote, "In a collective act of passion, the people of BH Photo #131225 Pass San Gabriel Reservoir and turn right on East Fork Road. But I made it out for a few photos and back in one piece. would be to return the money earmarked for our Gravina Bridge. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Bridge to Nowhere Gilahina Trestle, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Taking the ferry from Ketchikan, AK to the airport which is on Gravina Island AKA "nowhere."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravina_Island_Bridgehttp://www.boro. Sarah Palin let the "Road to Nowhere . congressional leadership, support its resistance. The island is connected to the city by a ferry that runs to the airport, well past the point where the bridge was to have been built. Ketchikan's Democratic Mayor Bob Weinstein also criticized Palin for using the term bridge to nowhere, which she had said was insulting when she was in favor of the bridge. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. SIEGEL: 2004, April 10th, 2004 an article appears in the New York Times in which you're quoted. ", David Raskin of for the hurricane relief efforts. [3] One very large bridge from Ketchikan to Gravina Island, where the city's airport is. 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. 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. June 30, 2022. It spans a deep gorge overlooking the lovely Garry beach, one of the prettiest in the Outer Hebrides. She said the best option would be to upgrade the ferry system. the Senator seems to view $75 million in taxpayers' dollars as a Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. 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 campaign issue. This loop trail is just under three miles long, and a beauty to behold. Its a 10-mile round-trip hike on the East Fork Trail along the San Gabriel River. For the first eight years after its completion in 1921, it was the tallest bridge in the United States. SIEGEL: Was there any moment in Governor Palin's handling of this appropriation that can be construed as her saying thanks, but no thanks? 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. The 8,000 residents of Ketchikan continue to be connected to their airport by ferry. disaster in the Gulf States, it occurred to me that the most Follow it to find a gorge railroad bridge, where occasionally you may even see the Alaska Railroad pass overhead! It has also become an embarrassment to the A bridge to nowhere. (population 8,900) with its airport on the Island of Gravina Located on a hiking trail in Denali National Park, this easy trail takes you along the river to a bridge right in the middle of nowhere. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. SIEGEL: Today, Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Republican of South Carolina, writes an op-ed page piece in the Wall Street Journal, which he says, yeah, she was for it but then after she realized the problem with earmarks, Governor Palin was against it. Love Alaska? 3058 [109th]'s first version passed the U.S. Senate with 93 votes for, 1 against. 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. Copyright 2008 NPR. "I mean, it's pretty here." [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. 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. "There's no one on this road," she said. Great scenery, plenty of interesting details, and a clear, well-marked path. It reaches 296 feet above Hurricane Creek for a full span of 918 feetthe longest and tallest bridge on the Alaska Railroad. 15 Fascinating Things You Probably Didnt Know About Denali National Park. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened.". I can just imagine something like the French Viaduct, but with a toll of $30.00 each way. 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 . [26] On January 17, 2007, she sent a revised budget to the president of the Alaska Senate that would restrict capital spending and rescinded the $185 million state share of the bridge funding.[27]. SIEGEL: One reason this is so important to the GOP is that as late as 2006, Palin was taking a very Alaskan view of the bridge project. objected to the bridge on their editorial pages. In 2005, legislation backed by Stevens to build a so-called "bridge to nowhere" became a . [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". In the 2008 presidential campaign, two projects in Alaska were ridiculed as examples of pork-barrel . Last fall, after House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) earmarked $223 . Share. Then-Gov. Click for larger version. Your first glimpse of the bridge is astonishingits much larger and majestic than youd expectbut the weirdness doesnt stop here. , Your email address will not be published. H.R. LOL. of a hurricane-damaged bridge in Louisiana. Market data provided by Factset. Its since fallen into some disrepair, as is evident from this image. This one-lane historic bridge was built in the early 1900s, from 1909-1910, as a one-track railroad bridge for the Copper River and . 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 critics called the road spending wasteful for the same reason. The controversy began with the 2006 National Appropriations Bill, an omnibus spending bill covering transportation, housing, and urban development for the following year. course, Alaska should and, hopefully, will volunteer to reject the 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. Frank Murkowski ordered work on the bridge project to begin with the construction of the highway south from the airport to the channel between Gravina Island and Revillagigedo Island, on which Ketchikan resides. Senator's numbers are right, Alaska's Department of Transportation On Friday, Alaska decided the bridge really was going nowhere, officially abandoning the project in Ketchikan that became a national symbol of federal pork-barrel spending. Sarah Palin as the controversy was unfolding and she told him . This covered bridge could have elevators and escalators; if medical personnel need to reach the ferry, they can use it. This is all very cool, but it means calling the watercourse the Gilahina river actually translates as Gilahi river river. The 3.2-mile road was built at a cost of $28 million by Kiewit Pacific Co. of Anchorage. All rights reserved. Find the perfect Bridge to nowhere alaska stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Sept. 19, 2008 12 AM PT. Back in 2005, Young and Sen. Stevens tried to get $223 million for the bridge. 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. Yep, looks wide enough for perhaps at least a 2 lane paved highway maybe a Micky Ds rest stop over there at the end. Based upon your other photos from Ketchikan, it looks like all the money was needed because it was to be a tall bridge so the cruise ships could get underneath it! Alaska Rep. Don Young brought the world the "Bridge to Nowhere.". Fourteen years on, Palin's 'bridge to nowhere' comment still resounds. Defunding the bridge, he said, This is looking from Ketchikan across the Tongass Narrows to Gravina Island, the destination of the bridge. The project wasn't going to be cheap, though: $398 million was the projected cost, and the project encountered steep opposition in the United States Congress in 2005. 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. Alaskas Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere The Gilahina Trestle fades into winter, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Thanks for the Ketchikan perspective. DOT says that the highway will still be useful to reach land on Gravina Island even without the bridge.
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