Finding Nowhere

Kate — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:41:59 GMT

I'm torn on the Knik Bridge. Currently to get to Anchorage, folks in Wasilla, Big Lake, Houston, Willow have to drive around the inlet. From Wasilla, that makes Anchorage a 50-mile drive. The point that the Knik bridge would connect is about 3 miles from Anchorage across the water. There are a lot of people who live in the Wasilla area and commute to Anchorage, making the area a bedroom community, and projections from the height of the housing boom indicated that the population was just going to mushroom upward, leading to traffic congestion and higher accident rates during the winter. We're talking estimates of population doubling or tripling within the next ten years.

So, it sounds pretty good to me. BUT, it's expensive.

The other Bridge to Nowhere has less support; there's already a ferry that takes people across, and the complaint that it doesn't run in rough weather, making people unable to get to the airport island, is problematic...because when it's rough weather, usually the flights are cancelled anyway.

Finding Nowhere

Kate — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:54:10 GMT

FYI--A 2003 economic trends study indicated that 35% of Matanuska-Susitna Borough residents work outside the borough. Some of them no doubt work on the North Slope, but a substantial majority of them work in Anchorage.

Finding Nowhere

KM — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:08:00 GMT

No, I don't think your goals were that innocent. But nice try!

Finding Nowhere

Will Femia — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:40:06 GMT

Kate, one thing I have to think about these bridges and roads to nowhere is that they wouldn't be nowhere if there was a bridge or a road to them. If that Knik bridge went through it seems to me not only would the commute to places like Wasilla be shorter but a whole new town would probably grow on the other side of the bridge.

I understand the baggage that comes with that kind of development and why some people wouldn't want it but at least by looking at the map we can see that these projects have some root in practicality.

I figure the Ketchikan airport ended up where it is because it's the only flat area around but it still seems pretty bizarre that it's the only thing on that whole island (or the only thing worthy of being mapped).

Since the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that these projects are too expensive I won't question that conclusion but I'd be interested to see if anyone worked out an estimate for what the return would be on them. I see a lumber yard north of the airport and pleasure cruise ships across the water. To what value would those industries be helped by a bridge and an accompanying road?