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40-559: The Knik Arm Bridge is a dormant proposal for a 1.74-mile (2.80 km) 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 1.74-mile (2.80 km) bridge with 18 miles (29 km) 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

80-538: A "reserve fund" to be paid with State General Funds to cover estimated deficits for the first three years. Additionally, House Bill 158 and Senate Bill 80, also introduced in 2011 by Neuman and Menard, specifies that KABATA bonds would now be "obligations of the state". None of these four bills advanced beyond referral to committee . KABATA CFO Kevin Hemenway told the Legislature's transportation committees that if

120-845: A National Highway System route. In March 2010, with new members, the AMATS Policy Committee reversed their previous decision and re-instated the bridge project into the short term transportation plan. In December 2010, the FHWA issued a "Record of Decision" accepting the project's Environmental Impact Statement, after more than seven years and approximately $ 53 million were spent on studies, preliminary designs, public relations and cost estimating. KABATA has stated that they have asked their toll and revenue consultant, Wilbur Smith Associates, to re-visit their revenue and toll forecasts to reflect conditions that have changed since 2005. These changed conditions included revised population estimates for

160-805: 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

200-562: A centrist platform, mixing traditionally conservative and liberal positions. Walker opposed the construction of the Pebble Mine and acknowledged the existence of climate change and the need to adopt energy policies to help mitigate its harmful effects, but supported increasing oil and gas pipeline capacities and new drilling for petroleum in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge . He also supported gun rights,

240-665: A degree of state sovereignty for Alaska, and the Medicaid expansion made possible by the Affordable Care Act . On September 2, 2014, Walker held a press conference with Byron Mallott , the Democratic nominee for governor, announcing that they would merge their campaigns, with Mallott replacing Fleener as Walker's running mate. Mallott's Democratic running mate, attorney and State Senator Hollis French , also stepped aside, leaving no official Democratic candidate in

280-614: A gas pipeline in Alaska. Walker challenged incumbent governor Sean Parnell as well as Gerald L. Heikes, Merica Hlatcu, Sam Little, and Ralph Samuels in the Republican Party primary election on August 24, 2010 . Walker finished second, with 33.95% of the vote, while Parnell won the nomination with 49.49%. The general election was held on November 2, 2010 and Parnell defeated his Democratic opponent, Ethan Berkowitz . In 2013, Walker announced his intention to run in

320-631: 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

360-407: A legislative ethics bill. The bill prevented a stronger ballot measure , which would have prohibited foreign corporations from donating to statewide campaign candidates, from appearing on the fall ballot. In September 2018, the office of Anchorage District Attorney Richard K. Allen entered into a controversial plea bargain in the case of a former FAA air traffic controller who allegedly kidnapped

400-528: A native Alaskan woman, choked her until she passed out and then masturbated over her. In response to citizen outrage at the reduced sentence, Walker issued a statement saying that the sentence was insufficient and that he would propose legislation making unwanted contact with semen a sex crime . Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott resigned on October 16, 2018, citing "inappropriate comments" that he and Walker did not detail. A new lieutenant governor, Alaska Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson ,

440-442: A project reserve fund and clarify that the project is an infrastructure project backed by the state. These changes were necessitated by the 2008 national financial crisis . It would allow the state to repay the private investors when toll revenue is building up in early years after opening. Alaska House Bill 159 and Senate Bill 79, introduced in 2011 respectively by Representative Neuman and Senator Menard, set aside $ 150 million into

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480-577: A revelation of inappropriate comments, Mallott resigned on October 16. He was replaced by State Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson , who was sworn in the same day. Though Davidson replaced Mallott as Walker's running mate, Mallott remained on the ballot. On October 19, facing low polling numbers, Walker suspended his campaign and endorsed the Democratic candidate, Mark Begich . Begich lost by 7.03% to Republican nominee Mike Dunleavy . Despite his withdrawal, Walker received 2.03% of

520-530: A statewide income tax as well as reducing annual payments to qualified state residents from the Alaska Permanent Fund . His June 2016 partial veto of legislation pertaining to the APF resulted in annual payments to state residents being cut by more than half. The New Yorker later wrote that this "deeply unpopular" move "doomed" Walker's chances of reelection. In July 2018, Walker signed into law

560-417: 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

600-502: The 2014 election , merging his campaign with that of Democratic nominee Byron Mallott , who became Walker's running mate. Both candidates' prior respective running mates withdrew from the race and the Walker/Mallott ticket defeated Parnell and his running mate, former Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan . Walker ran for reelection in 2018 , but facing low polling numbers and Lieutenant Governor Mallott's resignation, he dropped out of

640-489: The 2014 gubernatorial election as a Republican. Later that year, he decided to run as a nonpartisan candidate instead, taking the advice and encouragement he had received prior to his 2010 campaign from former Alaska governor Wally Hickel . Walker selected Craig Fleener, a former Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game , to run for lieutenant governor on his ticket. He campaigned on

680-615: The Alaska National Guard , for which Parnell served as Commander in Chief. Following Election Day , the race was considered too close to call. On November 7, Walker and Mallott held a 3,165-vote lead. On November 14, after Walker and Mallott extended their lead to 4,634 votes, media outlets called the race. Two days later, Parnell conceded. Walker sought reelection in 2018. He initially ran with incumbent lieutenant governor Byron Mallott as his running mate, but after

720-592: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). 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

760-639: The Glenn Highway , which continues along a strip of land between Chugach State Park and the military bases north of Anchorage. The Knik Arm Bridge and connecting roads would provide a secondary north/south roadway to Wasilla. There is concern, however, that the only paved connecting road on the Matanuska/Susitna Borough side of the bridge, which is the Knik Goose Bay Road, is presently overcapacity and listed as one of

800-588: The University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University School of Law) in 1983. Walker worked in his family's construction business as a carpenter, laborer, and teamster on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline , which helped him pay for his education. From 1977 to 1979, Walker served on the Valdez city council . He later was elected mayor of Valdez, serving from 1979 through 1980. At 27, he

840-568: The Government Hill neighborhood and negatively impact the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales . 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 ($ 280 million today). The 1968 Seward's Success proposal, an $ 800 million ($ 7 billion today) multi-phased megaproject encompassing

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880-631: The Gravina and Knik Arm Bridge funds to Louisiana to repair bridge damage in Hurricane Katrina . In his speech on the senate floor, Stevens threatened to quit Congress if the funds were removed from his state. Republicans in Congress dropped the specific allocation for the two bridges, allowing Alaska to apply the funding to current transportation projects. Governor Frank Murkowski planned to fully fund both bridges: "I am proposing we spend

920-494: The Matanuska-Susitna Borough by the University of Alaska Anchorage 's Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), of which the estimates were found to be as much as 50% lower than forecasts used in the project's EIS showing that the toll bridge was "financially feasible". Alaska State Senator Linda Menard and House Representative Mark Neuman introduced a set of companion bills in 2011 to establish

960-461: The Republican majorities were not enough to override a gubernatorial veto . With the Republican legislature opposed to Walker's attempts to expand Medicaid , Walker decided to use his executive authority to do so. In 2015, due to low oil prices, Alaska anticipated a $ 4 billion budget deficit. Budget cuts and raised taxes were proposed to reduce it. In December 2015, Walker proposed reinstating

1000-501: 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

1040-568: The bridge total about 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Anchorage, about the same commuting distance as other available land in Anchorage. The residents of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley currently have only a single road to get to and from Anchorage and points south and Anchorage residents only have a single route to all points north. The Parks Highway which runs through Willow, Alaska , Houston, Alaska and Wasilla , joins

1080-585: 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

1120-507: The details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 202200199 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:51:56 GMT Bill Walker (U.S. politician) William Martin Walker (born April 16, 1951) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 11th governor of Alaska , from 2014 to 2018. He was the second Alaska-born governor, after William A. Egan . Walker

1160-715: The election. Before their announcement the merger was met with resistance from the Alaska Republican Party , but it was ruled valid by the Alaska Supreme Court . Walker led in polls taken weeks before the November 4 general election. Parnell was widely criticized for his support of billions in unpopular tax reductions for the petrochemical industry and the development of a scandal featuring five years of alleged cover-ups of rampant sexual abuse, cronyism, corruption and whistleblower suppression in

1200-485: The four most dangerous roads in the state. The commuting distance for the vast majority of all existing residents of the Matanuska/Susitna Valley would not be lessened by taking the Knik Arm Bridge, a factor that Bridge critics say make KABATA's current revenue forecasts from the proposed bridge tolls to be overstated. In October 2005, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens opposed diverting Alaska's funding for

1240-414: The maximum allowed." In 2009, Anchorage Metro Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) decided to postpone the project and remove it from Anchorage's short term transportation plan until 2018. The cities of Houston and Wasilla responded with a lawsuit under the premise that AMATS did not have the authority to delay the project, highlighting that the affected segment of the local road system is designated as

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1280-464: 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 . Supporters of the bridge believe that the bridge would allow the growing population of the region to expand into the Point MacKenzie area. The approach road and connectors, along with

1320-524: The project's reserve fund dropped far enough, "it would be subject to appropriation for replenishment". In 2013, a legislative audit found that KABATA had overestimated potential revenue from tolls, leading to a decision to place the organization under the direct control of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and essentially stripping KABATA of any independent authority. The decision was also expected to significantly slow

1360-455: The project, with AHFC explicitly rejecting any sort of timetable for completion. The day after KABATA was merged into AHFC, Alaska House Bill 23 (introduced in January 2013) was signed into law, obligating $ 1.14 billion in state funds for the project. On December 15, 2014, Governor Bill Walker announced a revised capital budget, cutting $ 45 million for the project from the capital budget that

1400-523: The race on October 19, 2018, and endorsed Democrat Mark Begich . Walker ran in the 2022 election as an independent, but lost to Republican incumbent Mike Dunleavy and Democratic candidate Les Gara . Walker was born in Fairbanks, Alaska , and raised in the small, rural interior city of Delta Junction and the port of Valdez on Prince William Sound . He was the fourth child of Alaskan pioneers Frances (Park) and Ed Walker . During World War II, Ed

1440-494: The vote. On August 17, 2021, Walker announced his candidacy in the 2022 gubernatorial election as an independent. As his running mate he named Heidi Drygas, who served as his commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development from 2014 to 2018. He lost the election to Republican incumbent Mike Dunleavy . Walker took the oath of office on December 1, 2014. He faced a Republican-controlled legislature , but

1480-495: Was Valdez's youngest mayor. Walker and his wife, Donna, owned a law firm; he became a prominent oil and gas attorney. The firm represented the city of Valdez and the Alaska Gasline Port Authority. Walker "represented the city of Valdez in lawsuits that charged [oil] companies with lowballing the property tax valuation of the industry-owned Trans-Alaska pipeline system". He also attempted to build

1520-629: Was an Alaskan Scout with Castner's Cutthroats in the Aleutian Islands and Frances worked on the Alaska-Canadian Highway . During the 1964 Alaska earthquake , which severely damaged Valdez, the family lost most of their personal and business possessions. At the age of 12, Walker became a janitor to help his family. Walker graduated from Valdez High School in 1969. He received his B.S. in business management from Lewis & Clark College in 1973 and his J.D. from

1560-623: Was born in Fairbanks to Frances (Park) and businessman Ed Walker ; he was raised in Delta Junction and Valdez, Alaska . He obtained a J.D. degree from Seattle University and served as mayor , city councilor , and city attorney for Valdez, and as general counsel for the Alaska Gasline Port Authority . Walker ran for governor of Alaska in the Republican Party primary election in 2010 , losing to incumbent Sean Parnell . Walker ran as an independent in

1600-573: Was created by the previous administration under Governor Sean Parnell . In 2018, the Alaska Legislature included funding to restart the now-dormant project, but the funding was again vetoed by Governor Walker. With no funding, the project is effectively dormant for the foreseeable future. Cook Inlet Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

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