Gravina access project tongass narrows separates the city of ketchikan, located on revillagigedo island, from the ketchikan international airport on gravina island. Representatives from the alaska department of transportation gave an update monday to the ketchikan gateway borough assembly. Palin is asked if she would cancel the contract to build the access road on gravina island. Reconstruct existing airport ferry terminal and associated pedestrian and vehicle upland access facilities on gravina island. Notice of final federal agency actions on proposed gravina. The vallenar access project area was not identified as critical habitat in the centralsouthern southeast area plan. Alaska kills bridge to nowhere that helped put end to.
The documents below are offered in pdf format to save the pdf to your pc right click on the link and select save target as. In total, the five projects listed in table 1 only have 6% of the funding needed for. Known locally as the gravina island access project, it was meant to be a. On october 21, 2015, the alaska department of transportation and public facilities announced that it had decided to recommend the gravina access project alternative g4v as the states preferred alternative to the federal highway administration. Palin administration still pursuing nowhere project propublica. Gravina access project appendix b part 1 conceptual.
Subscribe by rss or email to all new notices, or just those matching specific search criteria. Currently, six build alternatives are being considered for the gravina access project. Project proponents tell the public that the bridge is a transportation necessity, though the ferry system adequately handles passenger traffic between the islands, including traffic to and from the airport. The gravina island access supplemental environmental impact statement process has moved forward now that the state of alaska has chosen its. The primary public access to gravina island from revillagigedo island is a borough operated ferry that transports vehicles, bicyclists. The gravina island highway was completed in september 2008. Revillagigedo revilla island and gravina island,1 yet prior to the bridge proposal, there. Mccain blasts the move, saying, the gravina island bridge is the. Palin administration still pursuing nowhere project. Coast guard and the alaska department of transportation and public facilities, has issued a gravina access project draft environmental impact statement eis on august 6, 2003.
The project team would like to thank all those who have participated in the public process. Ketchikan asbuilts, southcoast region, alaska department of. This map set depicts the proposed vallenar bay project located on gravina island in township 74 and 75 south, range 89 and 90 east, copper river meridian. Bridge too far on the bridge to nowhere politifact. The highway was part of a project that would connect gravina island, specifically, the ketchikan international airport, to the city of ketchikan. Planning division ketchikan gateway borough, ak official website.
Be one click away from seeing your customized results. The purpose of the gravina access project is to improve transportation between ketchikan and saxman on revillagigedo island and the ketchikan international airport. Ketchikan comprehensive housing assessment project. A ferry runs to the island every 30 minutes, and every 15 minutes during the. State agencies now have the ability to accept comments online.
After decades, gravina access project reaches milestone. Here is a link to a 2017 krbd story about the gravina access project, including a pdf of some of the improvement. There wouldnt be much more to say about gravina island, except that in 2005 it was on the receiving end of one of the most notorious cases of porkbarrel politics in u. Known locally as the gravina island access project, it was meant to be a permanent connection between ketchikan, with a population of 8,000, and gravina island, with a. Sarah palin visited ketchikan to express her support for the gravina island bridge project. Project contractors aver that gravina access project would serve to improve surface. Niblack project and the potential mill facilities at the gravina island industrial complex giic with the ketchikan gateway borough kgb. Table 1 shows that of the five projects, only the gravina island access project has over of the funding needed. The primary public access to gravina island from revillagigedo island is a borough operated ferry that transports vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians from a terminal on revillagigedo island, located approximately 2. Gravina access project supplemental environmental impact. Gravina island, the location of the ketchikan international airport and adjoining lands that offer recreation and development potential.
Our communitys limited access to gravina island and the ketchikan. Legislative budget and audit committee division of. The project involves examining ways to link revilla island to gravina island, the location of the ketchikan international airport and adjoining lands that offer recreational and development potential. Althought the alternative bridge project was cancelled, the gravina island highway, a 3. The current level of available project funding is insufficient to complete construction of the preferred gravina island bridge access alternative f1. Alternative c34 is a 200foothigh bridge crossing located near the airport.
Pdf gravina island revillagigedo island ketchikan gateway borough. Mou to assess the potential for processing, port, and tailings storage facilities at giic. The gravina island highway, or so im tolled, would have connected to the island where some of a former alaska governors relatives live. The theoretical bridge would have connected the ketchikan international airport on gravina island to the residential communities of ketchikan and saxman on revillagigedo island. Another project on the island that did get partially completed was the gravina island highway. Gravina access project seis scoping summary report 2 december 2008 alternative f1 as well as alternative f3 also included a 3. This is the largest fee simple parcel in the area and it has road and water access. The access road has a tunnel under the airport runway. Borough pushes for better gravina access plan krbd. So with the bridge project shelved, dot will look for a more affordable answer for gravina island. Please check out the bid calendar for projects currently advertising. The build alternatives include two bridge alternatives.
The ketchikan gravina island access project, as it. Financing andor direct investment in capital infrastructure improvements such as roads. Enter your email address below to begin receiving daily notifications of new notices. How a bridge to nowhere became a road from nowhere to nowhere. Potential solutions to the issue have come in many permutations from underground tunnels to the bridge to nowhere but no significant improvements have been constructed to date. Gravina access project alternatives evaluation summary report public comment summary june 2002 2 3.
While not an action item during this weeks meeting, the ketchikan gateway borough assembly on monday talked about the longawaited gravina access project a stateled project to improve access to gravina island, where ketchikans airport is. The road project is being funded through alaskas 20 capital budget. Dots woodrow said that because the official purpose and need statement of the gravina access project. Pennock island in the narrows is also now accessible.
In accordance with title 24 of the alaska statutes and a special request by the legislative budget and audit committee, we have conducted a performance audit of dotpf and their progress in achieving the goal of gravina island access. The state has taken a major step toward selling timber on gravina island. The purpose of the gravina access project is to improve surface transportation between revillagigedo revilla island, home of the ketchikan gateway borough, city of ketchikan and the city of saxman, and gravina island, the location of the ketchikan international airport and adjoining lands that offer recreational and development potential. Property does have water rights from round lake and a power line easement. Construct gravina island airport freight dock facility. Maneuvering simulations an application to waterway. Improved access between gravina island and revillagigedo island has been a community goal since 1973 when ketchikan international airport first opened. The agencies will jointly hold two public hearings to. The gravina access project proposes to improve access between revillagigedo island and gravina island in the ketchikan gateway borough, alaska. Currently, a small ferry provides the only regular access to gravina island with a terminal at ketchikan international airport. Access between ketchikan and its airport is currently accomplished via a short ferry crossing at location c4 in figure 1. A plan to improve access to gravina island and the ketchikan international airport is moving forward. The gravina island bridge, commonly referred to as the bridge to nowhere, was a proposed bridge to replace the ferry that currently connects the town of ketchikan, alaska, united states, with gravina island, an island that contains the ketchikan international airport as well as 50 residents.
The gravina access project was funded under the 1998 transportation equity act for the 21st century to improve access between revillagigedo island and gravina island in the ketchikan gateway borough, southeast alaska. Alaska abandons controversial ketchikan bridge project. Project contractors aver that gravina access project would serve to improve surface transportation between revillagigedo revilla island and gravina island, 1 yet prior to the bridge proposal, there had been few complaints on record from local residents about the sevenminute ferry ride to gravina. Ketchikan comprehensive housing assessment project power point presentation chap full report pdf chap appendix pdf forms and applications. To save the pdf to your pc right click on the link and select save target as. Local leaders have said access to gravina island also is needed to grow the town and the economy. A plan to improve access to gravina island and the ketchikan. Biological opinion construction of the tongass narrows. Endangered species act esa section 7a2 biological opinion for construction of the tongass narrows project gravina access. Project proponents tell the public that the bridge is a transportation necessity, though the ferry system adequately handles passenger traffic between the.
The proposed project would improve surface transportation between revillagigedo island and gravina island in the ketchikan gateway borough borough located in southeast alaska. The gravina island bridge, commonly referred to as the bridge to nowhere, was a proposed. New plans confirm palins 2007 decision to scrap ketchikan. The sports fishing enthusiasts will find a bounty in the waters surrounding gravina island, including king chinook, silver coho, red sockeye, pink humpy, and chum dog salmon. Feis for the gravina access project, a proposed action to improve public access between. To save the pdf to your pc right click on the link and select save target as or, save link target as, or save link as.
The highway was part of a project that would connect gravina island. Assembly hears update on state gravina access project krbd. Alternatives evaluation summary report public comment. Gravina island is an island in the gravina islands of the alexander archipelago in southeastern alaska. Don young rak earmarked for the bridge in 2005 has been set aside for the gravina access project. Asbuilts are listed below in chronological order, search for a specific project.
Notice is hereby given that fhwa has taken final agency action subject to 23 u. The proposed gravina island highway begins as the airport access road at the ketchikan international airport parking lot on gravina island and extends south around the end of the present day runway and up the hill to an intersection with gravina island highway and lewis reef road. Appendix t tunnel report alaska department of transportation. The gravina bridge would replace a 7minute ferry ride from ketchikan to ketchikan airport on gravina island.
New plans to connect ketchikan by ferry to its airport on gravina island make sarah palin look completely right about the bridge to nowhere in 2007 when she canceled the project due to its expense. Dotpf, gravina island access project gia, october 30, 2009. Gravina access project, tongass narrows, ketchikan gateway. Members of the alaskan congressional delegation, particularly representative don young and senator ted stevens, were the bridges biggest advocates in congres.