Gravina Island Bridge

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The Gravina Island Bridge is a proposed $315 million bridge to replace the ferry that currently connects Ketchikan, Alaska (population 8,000) to developable land on Gravina Island and improve access to Ketchikan International Airport. The bridge would replace or augment a 7-minute ferry ride from Ketchikan to its airport ^[1].

The project has been met with fierce opposition^[2] and has been labeled the "Bridge to Nowhere." It has been cited by Senator John McCain of Arizona as an example of pork-barrel spending in the 2005 Transportation Equity Act. This $223 million federal contribution to the bridge would cost approximately $15,849 per person in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough (pop. 14,070) if the costs were split amongst them. Opponents have noted that the federal contribution represents $4.5 million for each of Gravina Island's 50 residents.

Media coverage of the bridge issue has focused on the secondary purpose put forward by the State of Alaska's official documentation, that of providing road access to the Ketchikan International Airport and has called into question the document's declared primary purpose -- to provide access to developable lands on Gravina Island.^[3] The city of Ketchikan has already begun to develop roads and a small amount of infrastructure for the island's inhabitants.

The non-partisan Americans for Prosperity Foundation has posted a video on YouTube.com that was recorded during an August 2006 "Ending Earmarks Express" visit to Alaska. The video was shot on the ferry that currently connects Ketchikan to Gravina Island and aims to illustrate how unnecessary the proposed bridge is. The Alaska Department of Transportation defends the project, however, saying that the state's congressional delegation believes Alaska's infrastructure improvements benefit the entire nation ^[4].

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens became the object of strong media criticism when in October 2005 he opposed diverting the Gravina and Knik Arm Bridge funds to help aid recovery from Hurricane Katrina. In his speech on the senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state. ^[5]

Republicans in Congress dropped the specific allocation for the two bridges, but the amount of money appropriated to Alaska remains unchanged. Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski announced plans to fully fund both bridges: "I am proposing we spend the maximum allowed."

A ferry runs to the island every 30 minutes. According to USA Today the bridge will be nearly as long as the Golden Gate Bridge and higher than the Brooklyn Bridge.^[6] Ketchikan's primary industry is tourism, so the bridge must be tall enough to accommodate the cruise ships which frequent the Alaskan waters during the summer.