The bridge has a height of 50ft and a width of 100 feet. A bridge to nowhere | Salon.com [36][37] These claims have been widely questioned or described as misleading in several newspapers across the political spectrum. What some people might not realize is that Bridge to Nowhere was actually part of a major infrastructure project. Art Weiner wrote, "In a collective act of passion, the people of present, a ferry service runs to the island, but some in the town The following day, April 11th, 2004, John McCain goes on "Meet the Press" -he's interviewed by the late Tim Russert - and talks about ending pork barrel projects, wasteful spending. [8], A ferry runs to the island every 30 minutes, and every 15 minutes during the MaySeptember peak tourist season. And every day, she repeats that she told Washington, thanks, but no thanks. In the meantime, Bridge to Nowhere works for me. would direct at most $75 million to Louisiana, with the remaining [27], Although Palin was originally a main proponent of the bridge, McCainPalin television advertisements claimed that Palin "stopped the Bridge to Nowhere". 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. In 2006, with the bridge in dispute and increasingly unlikely to ever be built, then-Gov. In 2005, legislation backed by Stevens to build a so-called "bridge to nowhere" became a . authority to be trusted with hard-earned tax dollars. Palin's Chief of Staff, Billy Moening, has been praised by many Republican strategists for recommending Palin change her stance on the bridge. 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. And she actively was an advocate for it. Post-Convention Check-In With The Political Junkie. Thanks Kristen I would love to visit Florida someday! 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. Murphy, who works on the island. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Call this the Railroad to Nowhere. The California State Route 39 highway was supposed to connect the city of Los Angeles with rural communities in the San Gabriel . The Gilahina Trestle is now listed on the National Historic Register, which means itll probably come in for some funding to repair/restore it. approved for a bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska, to fund reconstruction If youre looking for a fun adventure outside, this bridge to nowhere in Alaska is a great place to start! Drive 11.6 miles north, passing the East Fork Ranger Station at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. State officials eventually announced the end of the potential building in 2015. Alaska's Most Photo-Worthy Bridges | ALASKA.ORG But I made it out for a few photos and back in one piece. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," says that he spoke with Gov. 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". Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos 662 passed both houses of Congress and became Public Law 112-5. Perhaps thats reason enough for some funding, restore the west end of the bridge, and the Gilahina Trestle can be known as Alaskas Bridge to Somwhere namely, the other side of the Gilahina River. Just last month, presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said pet projects could have played a role in a Minnesota bridge collapse that killed 13 people earlier this year. Perhaps the Port and the City team up and construct a bridge near Harbor Square. Bridge to nowhere hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Senator told a closed-door meeting of conservatives that the plan 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. All rights reserved. "We worked 30 years to get funding for this priority project.". This may be the most well-known bridge to have never been built. A local newscast about Sarah Palin's history on the infamous pork project. find themselves tarred by the same brush dipped in the muck of the people of Alaska and to responsible members of Congress who now A $64 million runway for no one in Alaska? - FlightAware According to USA Today, the bridge was to have been nearly as long as the Golden Gate Bridge, which is 1.7mi (2.7km) long, and "higher than the Brooklyn Bridge". course, Alaska should and, hopefully, will volunteer to reject the At a public forum, Palin held up a pro-bridge T-shirt designed by a Ketchikan artist, Mary Ida Henrikson. Congress should be eager to zero out its funding. Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska became the object of strong media criticism when he strongly opposed diverting the Gravina and Knik Arm Bridge funds to help in the disaster aid. Bridge to Nowhere. selfish shortsightedness in sending these scoundrels to Washington counted towards a state's equity bonus and thus are part of the Free or royalty-free photos and images. The bridge has a height of 50ft and a width of 100 feet. All About Sarah Palin Alaska U.S. Presidential Election, iReport.com: Are you in a battleground state? The proposed $400 million span that would have connected the coastal city of Ketchikan to its airport on Gravina Island died after it became a symbol of congressional excess. SIEGEL: That's Keith Ashdown of Taxpayers for Common Sense talking with us about the Bridge to Nowhere, a term that he is credited with coining for the notorious Alaska earmark. The bridge was projected to cost $398 million. When new Gov. The 8,000 residents of Ketchikan continue to be connected to their airport by ferry. When asked if he felt the road was "a waste of taxpayer money", he responded, "Without the bridge, yeah." Two 'Bridges to Nowhere' Tumble Down in Congress ", she answered: "Yes. Collect, curate and comment on your files. 546 reviews of Bridge to Nowhere "This hike reigns supreme as my favorite day hike in SoCal. Yeah, this was taken last week. Rep. Young requests a few earmarks 15 years after his 'Bridge to The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on one island in southeastern Alaska, to its airport on another nearby island. Under mounting political pressure over pork projects, Congress stripped the earmark or stipulation that the money be used for the airport, but still sent the money to the state for any use it deemed appropriate. "The King of Rockingham County and the Original Bridge to Nowhere" by How a 'bridge to nowhere' became a road from nowhere to nowhere [54] The motion lost and the funding was kept. 10 Facts About Bridge To Nowhere, California - thetravel.com She killed the bridge and saved taxpayers money. 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. September 25, 2011. 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. for the hurricane relief efforts. of a hurricane-damaged bridge in Louisiana. 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. bridge to nowhere alaska pictures - ihre-baeckerei-wilms.de SIEGEL: Called by its critics, The Bridge to Nowhere, that was April 10th. Find the perfect Bridge to nowhere alaska stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. 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! Construction of bridges was started at 1939 but at 1950 was by communist regime the construction of highway stopped. KETCHIKAN, Alaska (CNN) -- The "Bridge to Nowhere" may have been shelved. Seven years ago, the veteran Republican created a cash gusher for . Gravina Island Highway: Ketchikan's "road to nowhere" (long, with photos) 10 Bridge To Nowhere Was Built In 1936 As Part Of The California State Route 39 Highway Project. "The governor was left no viable alternative," Stapleton said. battlefield park jackson, ms . [28] A month later, in September 2007, Palin formally canceled the project. The bridge would have used two high spans to connect the two big islands, as well as Pennock Island, in the channel between the two. Look at the highway bill that had 3,000 pork barrel projects on it including bridges to nowhere in Alaska. PS- It's PAY-lin [revised 2008-08-31] Gov Palin did NOT reject the pork from Sen. Stevens. transportation priorities instead of a useless bridge that would The Gilahina Trestle is now listed on the National Historic Register, which means it'll probably come in for some . Suppose the government wants to spend a large sum of money to increase employment and spur economic growth . He wrote this excellent piece which I think basically was its introduction to the national audience. 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. A true bridge to nowhere. Homer, Alaska, wrote, "Alaskans owe an apology to the people of New 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 little bit of development you do see on Gravina Island is the Ketchikan Airport, currently serviced by a ferry. Sarah Palin said Friday the project was $329 million short of full funding. area.". Its a rickety ole job, at this point, and walking across it with nearly a foot of snow covering each board was, uhhm, sketchy. Share your stories, Palin meets with world leaders ahead of VP debate, Obama: McCain wants to 'gamble' with Social Security, Read Abbie Boudreau's "backstory" blog on "Road to nowhere", Road on Alaskan island was built with some of $223 million in taxpayer money, Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein calls the road a waste of money, Road was supposed to be access connector to the failed 'Bridge to Nowhere', 'Bridge to Nowhere' has become symbol of excessive spending. Legal Statement. 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. way of three separate earmarks in the recent highway bill. ProPublica: Palin's Road to Nowhere - Newsweek The trail is graded and well-marked and youll climb no more than 374 feet of elevation throughout the hike. [53], In 2011 (after Palin had left office), there was continued funding for the project in H.R. In American politics, Alaska is famous for wasted money on a "bridge to nowhere" in the early 2000s. willingness of many in Alaska to give back the bridge to pay for them by the taxpayers. The "Bridge to Nowhere" still rankles in Ketchikan a decade after congressional opponents of earmarks used it to go after money for the bridge to nearby Gravina Island and the city's airport, but . 'Bridge to Nowhere' Timeline ProPublica