The Knik Arm Bridge is a dormant proposal for a bridge across Cook Inlet's Knik Arm to link the two fastest growing parts of Alaska – Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
The project consists of a bridge with of connector roads, including on and off ramps, and a $50 million cut and cover tunnel under Government Hill. Cost estimates are between $700 and $800 million.
Proponents say the crossing would provide access to much-needed residential, commercial and industrial land; create jobs; reduce the cost of transportation to Interior Alaska and the North Slope; lessen carbon emissions and provide an alternative transportation route out of Anchorage. Opponents, however, say that: the crossing would create unnecessary urban sprawl in the Anchorage area; would be more expensive and less used than projected; would divert limited transportation funding away from more critical projects; would disrupt the Government Hill neighborhood and negatively impact the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales.
Concept
The idea of a bridge or causeway across Knik Arm was first envisioned in 1923 by Alaska Railroad engineers looking for a more efficient route to Alaska's interior. In 1955, a group of Anchorage businessmen studied it again, arriving at a cost estimate of $25 million ($ million today). The 1968 Seward's Success proposal, an $800 million ($ billion today) multi-phased megaproject encompassing a large domed community, included both an aerial tramway and monorail to span the Knik Arm.
In 2003, the Alaska Legislature created the Knik Arm Bridge And Toll Authority (KABATA) to develop a method of construction, financing, design, operation and maintenance of the bridge. By 2010, KABATA had completed the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and had obtained a "build" Record of Decision from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Controversy
Many Government Hill residents oppose the plan since many of the options presented would bisect the neighborhood and raze parts of it. Some opponents argue that the bridge is a "pork-barrel project" because it was tied to the Gravina Island Bridge in its $450 million plus funding legislation. There is also concern it could threaten a population of beluga whales despite receiving a biological opinion of 'no jeopardy' from the National Marine Fisheries Service. Interconnecting with existing Anchorage freeways and other arteries presents an additional challenge.
Original funding for the Knik Arm Bridge was provided by an earmark written by Don Young. The same bill funded the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere".
The Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) came under scrutiny in September 2006 when reports surfaced that its lead staff had received 20% to 30% raises at an executive session in August, raising to a typical salary of $130,000 per year. KABATA produced a 14-minute video which cost $57,490 including airtime.
Former Governor Sarah Palin has been criticized for supporting the project, with one attorney for an environmentalist group suggesting she only supports it because it serves the area that she comes from. John McCain, Palin's running mate in the 2008 presidential election, opposed the bridge, calling the bill funding it and the Gravina Island Bridge a "monstrosity," that was "terrifying in its fiscal consequences".
In 2011, the city of Anchorage filed a lawsuit to force the federal government to drop its green light for the controversial Knik Arm bridge project, arguing that it would hurt the Port of Anchorage.
Some critics have expressed a belief that the toll revenue estimates provided to rationalize construction are unrealistic.
As the project has been laden with concerns for most of its lifespan, its ultimate demise has long been expected. Funding for the project was repeatedly removed from the state budget by former Governor Bill Walker.