The Bridge to Nowhere

On a trip to Alaska which included a trip to Ketchikan, I learned something about that city's famed "Bridge to Nowhere". As described by a tour guide, the city is completely surrounded by national park, and cannot expand. However, there is land on Gravina Island that is not parkland, and could be developed. Without said bridge, prospects for developing this land are poor.

Now, whether or not the bridge is a good use of federal funds is still worthy of debate. What I find notable is how not one person discussing this issue in the national media mentioned the development issue. All I remember hearing was about the airport, and the ferry that served to bring people from the mainland to the airport. A fair and balanced discussion of the issue would have mentioned the development issue as well. Frankly, it's not something the average American would even consider, never having lived in an area with such restricted geography.