Bridge to Nowhere (Transportation Equity Act Earmark)

Congressional Research Service Summary

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) was a major transportation authorization bill signed into law in August 2005. Among its thousands of earmarks was a $223 million allocation for the Gravina Island Bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska, which became known as the “Bridge to Nowhere.”

Bill Details

The proposed Gravina Island Bridge would have been nearly as long as the Golden Gate Bridge, connecting the town of Ketchikan to Gravina Island — home to the local airport and approximately 50 residents. The project became the poster child for wasteful congressional earmarks and pork-barrel spending.

After intense national ridicule, Congress rescinded the earmark’s specific designation in November 2005, though Alaska was allowed to keep the transportation funds for other purposes. The state eventually abandoned the bridge project in 2007. The episode became a defining moment in the national debate over earmarks, contributing to a temporary moratorium on congressional earmarks that lasted from 2011 to 2021. The phrase “Bridge to Nowhere” entered the political lexicon as shorthand for wasteful government spending.

Source: This is a real earmark included in H.R. 3, the SAFETEA-LU Act, signed into law during the 109th Congress. View on Congress.gov.

Disclaimer: The absurdity score and editorial commentary above represent this site’s opinion. Bill details should be verified at Congress.gov.