The "bridge to nowhere" would connect Ketchikan with its airport to replace the $6 ferry fare with its up to 30-minute waits.
Ah, but that was just the final revision of the story put out by the local pols when the absurdity of the whole thing and who would profit from it became so widely known.
The original plan - and the source of the "Bridge to Nowhwere" label - called for a bridge south of town that spanned the East Channel to Pennock Island, a stretch of road then connected to another bridge across the West Channel.
They actually went so far as to complete the Gravina Island Highway
D) that dead ends where the bridge was supposed to connect the island.
The original stink began when it became known who owned much of the land and timber on Gravina. The politicians figured the humiliation attached to the airport ferry fairy tale is much less than what would have been attached to the real story that they have managed very well to revise since around 2005.
Even that revision of history looks really really stupid. According to FAA records: For the 12-month period ending January 1, 2011, the airport had 15,959 aircraft operations, an average of 43 per day: 61%
air taxi, 33%
scheduled commercial, 5%
general aviation, and 1%
military. At that time there were five aircraft based at this airport: 60% single-
engine, 20% multi-engine, and 20%
jet.
In layman's terms, that means there were about 7 airline flights (an operation is a landing or a takeoff) each day and of the 5 airplanes based at the airport, 3 are single engine spamcans, 1 is a twin, and 1 is a jet.
There is a reason that area is often called "Appalachia by the Sea." The concept of the "last frontier" and home of the independant frontiersman living off the land is truly a fantasy. It is in fact one of the most egregious welfare states in the nation.
The State is very good at collecting pork, they just seem to choose the wrong cut more often than not these days:
The World’s Most Ridiculous Ship Is Up For Sale [UPDATE] | gCaptain
Alaska borough wants to give away expensive ferry
Say what you like about California politicians but at least they don't pretend to be anything else.