December 07, 2005
Wednesday

It is interesting that the possibility of building the Gravina access is still alive. It has and will be continually compared to existing bridges. In the local newspaper Ketchikan's city mayor has compared it to the Golden Gate Bridge. How does it compare? The Golden Gate's annual traffic in 2004-2005 was 38.8 million people. The total revenues for the same period were $141.2 million. The bridge budget for everything, including maintenance for 2004-005 was $37 million.

If we were to build a bridge, the maintenance and cost of operation would be the only obvious comparison between the "Gravina" Bridge and the Golden Gate.

If we were to build a bridge how about a bridge from Claude Pt. to the mainland. A road through the headwaters of the Naha or Carol river, Neets drainage and down Cow creek. The best area for the powerline corridor as it would be economical to maintain. The Unuk river once had a road into the interior. Why not? So it goes through the Misty's, build a fence on either side. This country has a lot of highways through monuments. The Bradfield access calls for boring holes through mountains. The Unuk access has a nice gradual grade into the interior.

It would be a tragedy to harness future generations of Alaskans to pay for a bridge to Gravina. We have been told it is federal money and it won't cost us directly, but it will, and we the tax paying residents will pay for it.

The cost figures on the Golden Gate Bridge came from, Mary Currie, Public Affairs Director for the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway and Transportation District.

Lawrence "Snapper" Carson
Ketchikan, AK - USA

Note: Lawrence "Snapper" Carson is retired. He is a 63 year resident and was born in Ketchikan.

 

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