Knik Arm Bridge
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The Knik Arm Bridge, also known as one of Alaska's infamous "Bridges to Nowhere",[1] is the name of a controversial proposed bridge to cross the Knik Arm portion of Cook Inlet, north of Anchorage, Alaska. The bridge would expand the commuter belt for Alaska's largest city by cutting an hour or more from journeys from the southern part of the Matanuska/Susitna Valley. House building and expansion in Anchorage are constrained by the Chugach mountains on one side and water on most of the other sides of the city. Cost estimates for the bridge vary wildly; more conservative estimates put the cost as high as $1.5 billion. Opponents suggest that a proposed Knik Arm ferry is a more cost-effective solution.
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[edit] Idea
The idea of a bridge or causeway across Knik Arm was first envisioned sometime between 1955 and 1957 by a group of Anchorage businessmen. At that time, the cost estimate was only $25 million. Over the decades, the idea has been studied countless times over, even including at one point the concept of a Turnagain Arm bridge, on the opposite side of Anchorage. The current round of studies has been conducted under the jurisdiction of the Knik Arm Bridge And Toll Authority, created by the Alaska Legislature in 2003 to develop a method of construction financing and of operation and maintenance of the bridge once constructed.
[edit] Criticism
The bridge, which opponents have labeled a "pork-barrel project," was tied to the Gravina Island Bridge in funding legislation, would be two miles long, and would allow the population of Anchorage to expand into the Point MacKenzie area. The residents of the Matanuska/Susitna Valley currently have only a single road to get to and from Anchorage and points south. The Parks Highway which runs through Willow, Houston and Wasilla, has to veer east and join the Glenn Highway, which continues along a strip of land between Chugach State Park and the military bases north of Anchorage. No other routes are available for driving to or from the Valley and Anchorage. The proposed bridge would allow access in a more direct northward route from Anchorage to Houston and Willow and would provide a secondary north/south roadway in case of emergency.
[edit] Ted Stevens
In October 2005 Alaska Senator Ted Stevens vehemently 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. [2] Republicans in Congress dropped the specific allocation for the two bridges, but the amount of money appropriated to Alaska remains unchanged. Former Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski planned to fully fund both bridges: "I am proposing we spend the maximum allowed."[3]
As of mid-2006, however, there were additional developments. Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL) proposed an amendment disallowing federal funds from being allocated to the bridge project. The amendment passed the House in short order, but was held up in the Senate. According to the Alaska DOT, Alaska is one of only two states in the nation to not have a state-funded transportation improvement capital program. Meanwhile, Gov. Murkowski signed into law a capital budget which contained startup amounts for both the Knik Arm Bridge and the Gravina Island Bridge. However, his successor Governor Sarah Palin later canceled the Gravina Island Bridge project on September 21, 2007 citing fiscal responsibility and pork spending issues.[4]
[edit] Controversy
The bridge authority came under fire in September 2006 when it was revealed that its lead staff had received 20% to 30% raises at a secret board meeting in August to a typical salary of $130,000 per year.
Several possible routes have been identified and are currently under study. All of the proposed routes encroach upon either Elmendorf Air Force Base or Fort Richardson land, and security is among the foremost concerns. Interconnecting with existing Anchorage freeways and other arteries presents an additional challenge, as various neighborhoods, commercial areas, and industrial areas lie between the U.S. Air Force and Army land and the existing transportation infrastructure.
