Seen on the newswires:
On Friday, Alaska decided the bridge really was going nowhere, officially abandoning the project in Ketchikan that became a national symbol of federal pork-barrel spending.[...]
The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on one island in southeastern Alaska, to its airport on another nearby island.[...]
Ketchikan is Alaska’s entry port for northbound cruise ships that bring more than 1 million visitors yearly. Every flight into Gravina Island requires a 15-minute ferry ride to reach the more densely populated Revillagigedo Island.
The town — seven blocks wide and eight miles long — has little room to grow. Local officials have said access to Gravina Island, population 50, is needed for the town and its economy to grow.
I’ve got to admit that I can understand the desire for Ketchikan to improve airport access and gain room to go…I can think of a few other ways to get a bigger bang for $400 million in federal funds.