Was that $200 million bridge planned for Alaska approved or cut from the federal budget?

Answer 1

The money was included ("Uncle Ted" Stevens is good at bringing home the pork and chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee). But the "set aside" provision was removed. It would have mandated the money be used for the "bridges to nowhere" that got such bad press. A "use it or lose it" to force those projects to happen. Instead the state legislature is arguing over how to use the money. State reps from other areas want a slice of the pork pie.

Stevens and Rep. Young still want the bridge to get built to from Ketchikan (population 8,900) to the city airport on Gravina Island and for another project to be studied - a bridge from Anchorage to a rural port that has one tenant and a handful of homes.

Stevens has been stumping around the state and in Juneau arguing that those areas need to be developed now, and with that (no-longe-earmarked) money, or the projects might never happen. Anti-development politicians don't get elected up here!

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

It was cut from the budget