Alaska Town Opens "Road To Nowhere"

But Without Bridge, $25 Million Gravel Road Good For Just Road Races And Hunting

(AP)  Alaska may not have a Bridge to Nowhere, but it now has a Road to Nowhere.

The state this week completed a $25 million gravel road that was intended to lead up to the bridge linking the city of Ketchikan to its airport on a neighboring island.

The bridge project became the symbol of federal largess, and Congress eventually dropped the earmark for the bridge.

The state still received the money, but Gov. Sarah Palin - who once supported the bridge - last fall killed the project, valued at nearly $400 million.

Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein said the 3.2-mile road now is ideal for road races and hunting, and possibly some commercial development. But with no bridge to serve it, that's probably about it.

The bridge has also become a focal point in the presidential race with Palin, now John McCain's running mate, repeatedly telling crowds she told Congress "thanks but no thanks" for that Bridge to Nowhere.

Palin, however, originally backed the funding until the project became the subject of national ridicule, then she pulled the state's portion.

The state is considering cheaper designs for a bridge. State lawmakers made a brief and unsuccessful attempt at securing funding for a bridge during this year's legislative session.

The two-bridge project would have connected the town's airport on Gravina Island to Revillagigedo Island, where most of the 13,000 residents of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough live.

The airport is separated from its users by a quarter-mile-wide channel of water, forcing travelers to catch either a ferry or a water taxi.

[xmanborg]

Alaska needs to build the Sarah a House at the end of the road, get her a double wide trailer one side for her fat A$$ and the other side for her White Trash unmarried knocked up daughter and put the TV in the Middle so they can watch Jerry Springer and Y&R and Price is Right each day.

[xmanborg]

Alaska needs to build the Sarah a House at the end of the road, get her a double wide trailer one side for her fat A$$ and the other side for her White Trash unmarried knocked up daughter and put the TV in the Middle so they can watch Jerry Springer and Y&R and Price is Right each day.

[xmanborg]

Alaska needs to build the Sarah a House at the end of the road, get her a double wide trailer one side for her fat A$$ and the other side for her White Trash unmarried knocked up daughter and put the TV in the Middle so they can watch Jerry Springer and Y&R and Price is Right each day.

[bobnjersey]

[Palin, now John McCain''s running mate, repeatedly telling crowds she told Congress "thanks but no thanks" for that Bridge to Nowhere. ]

maybe she really believes that she was against the bridge ... and therefore her repeated statements about being against the bridge aren''t really lies.

[bobnjersey]

[Palin, now John McCain''s running mate, repeatedly telling crowds she told Congress "thanks but no thanks" for that Bridge to Nowhere. ]

maybe she really believes that she was against the bridge ... and therefore her repeated statements about being against the bridge aren''t really lies.

[gop_will_win]

See what the liberals did now? They wasted 25 million dollars during a time of economic turmoil where every dollar counts. If only they would have kept their big mouths shut and let the 400 million dollar bridge be built, this 25 million may not be needlessly wasted.

[gop_will_win]

See what the liberals did now? They wasted 25 million dollars during a time of economic turmoil where every dollar counts. If only they would have kept their big mouths shut and let the 400 million dollar bridge be built, this 25 million may not be needlessly wasted.

[lewiston14]

Why cant I seee the 120 posts on this topic.

[lewiston14]

Why cant I seee the 120 posts on this topic.

[bbinfla]

A 25 Millian Dollar Gravel Road is ridiculous. Where did the money really go?

[joe68sg1]

Thanks Sarah, this 3.2 mile road race track will really help the people around there I am sure.
You are so cool...

[joe68sg1]

Thanks for the 3.2 mile road race track Sara...
That will be a big help for Alaskan road racers !!!

[slim1h2o]

test

[notfooled]

Um, 25 million dollars for 3.2 miles of gravel road?

4-lane Interstate freeway only costs about 2 million a mile.

Hmmm, something not quite right here.

[yurfulla]

The point of federal government assistance is *not* to dole it out based on population. If you think about it wisely, Alaska, which has been a state for only 50 years, is the LARGEST state in the union. It deserves a significant portion of federal funds in order to build infrastructure that has been around for well over a century in states such as Illinois.

So, compare the earmarks per square mile in Alaska to the earmarks per square mile in Illinois and you''ll see that Alaska is sorely underfunded. And if you don''t want to fund Alaska, then expect to pay another 25% on your gasoline, natural gas, and oil bill, as well as do without salmon and other fish. And I say all this *not* as an Alaskan (never been there), but as a sensible American who thinks transparent government is the way to go. Thus, my support for McCain/Palin this year.

[smurfcrusher]

Your tax dollars at work - thanks to Caribou Barbie.

[smurfcrusher]

Your tax dollars at work - thanks to Caribou Barbie.

[scallywag8]

I would like to read other peoples comments.

[emelder]

Palin is a post turtle.

Explanation: While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Alaska Governor Palin and her bid to be Vice President.

The old rancher said, %u201CWell, ya know, Palin is a post turtle.%u201D

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a ''post turtle%u2019 was.

The old rancher said, %u201CWhen you''re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that''s a ''post turtle''.%u201D

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor''s face, so he continued to explain. %u201CYou know she didn''t get up there by herself, she doesn''t belong up there, she doesn''t know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of idiot put her up there.%u201D

[scallywag8]

I see you stopped letting us view the other messages. Why''s that?