Tag #VISITCALIFORNIA on Instagram to have your trip featured on our page. But some locals said they'll find some way to use the road, such as running or bicycle riding. We Don't Need Another "Bridge to Nowhere". At Members of the Alaskan congressional delegation . 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. Its since fallen into some disrepair, as is evident from this image. Sarah is speaking in Anchorage on Saturday, but I would rather be in Denali thats where Im heading! When new Gov. approved for a bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska, to fund reconstruction You'll receive your first newsletter soon! [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. Kids on an outing in the forest come up against a mysterious hermit who lives on the other side of a bridge, and he is definitely not happy to see them. [19] Because "no one seems to use" this road, it has been called the "road to nowhere" by CNN, many local Alaskans, and several other media sources. 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. The Gravina Island bridge project is an embarrassment to the people 3058 (109th): Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, -- GovTrack.us", "Stevens Vehemently Opposes Coburn Amendment to Eliminate Alaska Bridges", "Stevens says he'll quit if bridge funds diverted", "For a Senate Foe of Pork Barrel Spending, Two Bridges Too Far", "Palin touts stance on 'Bridge to Nowhere,' doesn't note flip-flop", "Palin criticized during gubernatorial campaign for her support of Gravina Island Bridge", "Palin voiced initial support for the proposed Gravina Island bridge during campaign", "Palin defends the bridge project, asks people to band together", "Palin Criticized during gubernatorial campaign for her support of Gravina Island Bridge", "Palin "bridge to nowhere" line angers many Alaskans", "DOT 'leaning' toward ferries; cites bridge cost", "Palin was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it", "Congress earmark alteration for Alaska prompts Governor Palin's new state budget without bridge", "Lawmakers deal with voter anger over 'pork', "Ted Earmarked Funds for Bridge that Goes Nowhere", "Palin changed her mind for public expediency", "Alaska abandons controversial Ketchikan bridge project", "Record Contradicts Palin's 'Bridge' Claims", "Fact Check: Palin and the Bridge to Nowhere", "Account of a Bridge's Death Slightly Exaggerated", "As Campaign Heats Up, Untruths Can Become Facts Before They're Undone", "McCain Blasts Palin's "Bridge to Nowhere", "McCain Blamed Bridge collapse on Bridge to Nowhere", "McCain connected 35W bridge collapse to Palin's pork", "Excerpts: Charlie Gibson Interviews GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin", "Press picks over litter of lies on the Palin trail US Election", "Sarah Palin said yes, thanks, to a road to nowhere in Alaska", "Bailout Negotiations Continue; FBI Targets Wall Street Firms", "Palin Defends Construction of 'Road to Nowhere', H.R.662 - Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011, "Gravina Access Project, Environmental Impact Statement, Figure 2.10, Alternative F1, Bridges (200' East and 120' West), Between Tongass Avenue and Airport, via Pennock Island: Alignment". There is a lot of snow out there already, or is this from last year? Gov. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Foundation. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I suppose I should point out that the Bridge is not technically Alaskas famed Bridge to Nowhere, but the nomenclature seems to fit rightly enough. This infamous bridge, from . But Alaska still got the money. Drive 11.6 miles north, passing the East Fork Ranger Station at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Coburn (R-OK) will offer an amendment to the Senate's appropriation The final stretch leads to the high-walled canyon known as the Narrows, where water squeezes through a deep and narrow gorge, spanned by the Bridge to Nowhere. You supported that bridge before you opposed it. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," says that he spoke with Gov. H.R. 8,000) by a bridge nearly as long as the Golden Gate and higher . (population 8,900) with its airport on the Island of Gravina 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! The controversy began with the 2006 National Appropriations Bill, an omnibus spending bill covering transportation, housing, and urban development for the following year. As a side note, you might notice that many of the rivers in the Wrangell-St. Elias region seem to end with the sound na Chitina river, Kuskulana river, Nazina river, Tana river, etc, are a few Ive mentioned on this blog before. Im 62 years old, and now just finding out about pet projects, especially a bridge to no where..Im truly in shock.i watch Alaska Frontier n Homestead, and I love the Alaskan way, if only I knew sooner, about pet projects, and Im sure others feel same way, IV would have voiced my opinion sooner, God Bless Alaskans..and Alaska ?? "The governor was left no viable alternative," Stapleton said. Follow it to find a gorge railroad bridge, where occasionally you may even see the Alaska Railroad pass overhead! A local newscast about Sarah Palin's history on the infamous pork project. the bridge to nowhere is a unique and historical landmark in the development of new zealand. I have a feeling this might have some legs in it still. The legend on the shirt was "Nowhere Alaska 99901", referencing the buzzword of "Bridge to Nowhere" and the primary ZIP code of Ketchikan. 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. 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. its remote location makes it a rare tourist sigh - bridge to nowhere stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Rumors say that it took less than 8 days to build, and the first train ran across its length on January 28, 1911. 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 . Palin interrupted Gibson and insisted, "I was wearing a T-shirt with the zip code of the community that was asking for that bridge. In 2005, legislation backed by Stevens to build a so-called "bridge to nowhere" became a . Collect, curate and comment on your files. Have any photos of the people Palin fired? State officials eventually announced the end of the potential building in 2015. What did you think? [36][37] These claims have been widely questioned or described as misleading in several newspapers across the political spectrum. 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 state's newspapers, and the papers' editors have also It features wide shoulders and sweeping curves to handle the large volume of traffic the road was expected to see one day. money for the bridges to nowhere and Congress will apply the money That's where the bridge was supposed to pick up." The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. Weight Limit is 10 tons. Pass San Gabriel Reservoir and turn right on East Fork Road. The little bit of development you do see on Gravina Island is the Ketchikan Airport, currently serviced by a ferry. Palin's campaign coordinator in the city, Republican Mike Elerding, remarked, "She said 'thanks but no thanks,' but they kept the money." Federal Highway Administration spokesman Doug Hecox stated that Palin could have opted not to use the federal earmark, which would have allowed Congress the opportunity to send it to other federal needs. Theres plenty of wildlife nearby, so pack bear spray, and stay vigilant along the trail. But Weinstein, a Democrat, said Palin instead spent $26 million to build a road "that will not go to a bridge.". 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.". It is showing the years isnt it. 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. Legal Statement. The trail crosses the river so often that you quickly . Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Less publicized is that, before the bridge project was cancelled, an approach road about three miles long was built to connect the airport with . Ketchikan is Alaska's entry port for northbound cruise ships that bring more than 1 million visitors yearly. Congress should be eager to zero out its funding. 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. heels, and many of the delegation's colleagues, including all of ", Back in Anchorage, 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.