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Advocating for sensible transportation spending
Juneau Road/Ferry Mega-Project road route view, showing numerous snow avalanche chutes and potential rockfall locations (January 2007).
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The State of Alaska currently is proposing to spend approximately $1.5 billion in public and private money on the Knik Arm Bridge from Anchorage to lightly-populated Point MacKenzie and the Juneau Road/Ferry project from Juneau to a currently non-existent ferry terminal, at the same time that long-awaited repairs to Alaska’s existing roads and ferry system are delayed, scaled back, or cancelled. A relatively small portion of these two mega-projects will be funded by the federal government. That federal money and the matching state money could be used, however, to meet higher-priority Alaska transportation needs such as combating congestion in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough, fixing bridges and potholes statewide, and replacing culverts to allow fish passage.
On September 21, 2007, Governor Palin cancelled planning for the Gravina Bridge, thus breaking with the “mega-project” transportation priorities of former Governor Murkowski’s administration which resulted in relentless advocacy for the Knik Arm Bridge, the Juneau Road/Ferry project, and the Gravina Bridge despite these mega-projects’ enormously high costs and questionable need. The remaining mega-projects’ costs undoubtedly will rise because of construction difficulties in Alaska’s rugged onshore and offshore environment, material and labor cost increases, and any currently-unknown construction difficulties. Unless the Palin Administration decides otherwise, the two remaining mega-projects will be responsible for taking money away from many critical, statewide transportation and non-transportation needs.
The Alaska
Transportation Priorities Project promotes a “fix it first” approach.
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities estimates
that the annual cost for existing Alaska highway and bridge maintenance
and preservation is over $540 million. With approximately $600 million
in annual state transportation revenues, there is little room in the
state budget for transportation mega-projects with high, unknown costs
and questionable need.
Download: Fix failing bridges and roads before building new ones Anchorage Daily News, 8/25/07 (PDF format, 46k)
Publications
The Knik Arm “Bridge to Nowhere”: A High-Risk Investment Choice
March 2, 2007: A Report Developed by the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project
Endorsed by: Alaska Center for the Environment, Alaska Conservation Alliance, Alaska Public Interest Research Group, Cook Inletkeeper, Government Hill Community Council
Abstract: The proposed Knik Arm Bridge project poses a serious risk for private investors, with large uncertainties in project costs, funding, permitting, and liability. This report documents those uncertainties.
Download: The Knik Arm “Bridge to Nowhere”: A High-Risk Investment Choice (PDF format, 400k )
Analysis of the Lynn Canal Highway Phase I, Zone 4 Geotechnical Investigation Undertaken by Golder Associates
Downloads:
ATPP Press Release: February 8, 2007 (MSWord Doc)
ATTP Report Analysis ( MS Word Doc)
The entire report is available as a VERY LARGE ( over 200 MB ) download on the AK DOT web site: http://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/projectinfo/ser/juneau_access/documents.shtml
There is also an option for a smaller download of selected portions of the report at the above link.
Presentations
Presentation on the AK Statewide Long Range Transportation Policy Plan Update
Presentation by ATPP Director Lois N. Epstein, P.E. on the Alaska Statewide Long Range Transportation Policy Plan Update known as 2030 Let’s Get Moving! before the Transportation Stakeholders Group on July 18, 2007.
Download the presentation: MS Powerpoint, 224k
Comments on the draft 2030 Plan, submitted to Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities on January 10, 2008
ATPP Director Lois Epstein on Talk of Alaska (January 15, 2008)
Listen to the program - MP3 file.
To provide the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project with information on important statewide transportation needs, click here.
Terminus of the proposed Knik Arm “Bridge to Nowhere” (September 2006)
"Folks in Anchorage were very upset and shocked… to hear that the bridges counted against our ability to address other, more pressing transportation needs in Southcentral and the Interior.”