John Binkley, Republican

One of the core missions of government is to provide and maintain a quality transportation system. In Alaska that means making sure all forms of vital transportation links between Alaskans - highways, roads, airports, bridges, railroads and the Marine Highway System - are well maintained. These vital links are what allow for connections between Alaskans, expansion of our communities and the growth of our economy. There are many important transportation needs all over our state, and I will lead the effort to expand our infrastructure.

Alaska has many challenges to its transportation infrastructure, however, including allocation of funding dollars to worthy projects throughout the state. That is why the processes put in place to garner public and community input into transportation priorities are so vital to good decision-making. As governor, I will work with communities to make sure we set fair and balanced statewide priorities for transportation projects.

We are fortunate to see such a large return from the federal government for our transportation dollars. We must use those dollars wisely and we must make sure that we do not eliminate the funding for these critical projects. While I believe there are other transportation projects of equal importance, the Ketchikan Gravina Island bridge project and the Knik Arm Crossing are transportation projects that were designed to help meet important transportation challenges and expand our communities. I believe they deserve funding and support, although it may still be prudent to look at more cost effective routing for the Gravina Island project.

Eric Croft, Democrat

Anchorage and Ketchikan need room to grow, and Ketchikan deserves safe, reliable access to its airport. I do not like Outside groups labeling any part of Alaska as "nowhere." Oakland was nowhere until the Bay Bridge was built. I voted to give the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority the ability to proceed to on its due diligence.

However, I have significant concerns about the ability to build these projects on budget. Before we spend any state money on these projects, I would demand good answers to some of the engineering challenges and have good defensible cost estimates. I do not believe that this burden has been met on either project yet. I would have spent the money instead on pressing statewide transportation projects that were delayed by the earmarked funding for the bridges.

Tony Knowles, Democrat

Alaskans are known for thinking big, and these bridges are challenging big projects. Yet, we are also fiscal conservatives. The challenge we face is making sure we know the total price tag for building and maintaining each bridge. Once we know this, we can make an informed decision on whether to build one or both bridges or to invest our finite resources in other higher priority transportation needs in each area.

I support large infrastructure projects done with proper planning. In my administration, we rebuilt major portions of the Seward and Glenn highways, including the notorious Canyon Creek Bridge. We built the Whittier tunnel, completed much of the Third Avenue Bypass in Ketchikan, and began paving the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. These transportation projects all met basic criteria, such as life, safety, economic development and community needs, and were identified as priorities through an open, public process.

The Gravina Island access bridge has been a community priority for 30 years. The EIS and Preferred Record of Decision were completed during my prior tenure as governor. The federal and state funding appropriated to the project now totals about $130 million out of an estimated construction cost of $315 million. Annual maintenance costs are projected at $360,000. We need to identify the source of the additional revenues required to build and maintain the bridge. Then the public needs to weigh in to demonstrate its continued support of the bridge or its preference for other transportation projects in order to determine the timetable for construction.

The Knik Arm Crossing has an estimated base construction cost that ranges from $600 million to $1.54 billion, not including the railroad. The crossing also would require about $315 million for additional roads and infrastructure on the Mat-Su side, including a new Parks Highway connection and upgrades of the Point MacKenzie and Knik-Goose Bay roads.

The mayors of the Mat-Su Borough, the Kenai Borough and the municipality of Anchorage together urged the Alaska Department of Transportation to reduce allocations to new large-scale projects, so that funds would be freed up for previously programmed projects. In a December 30, 2005, letter to DOT Commissioner Michael Barton, the mayors warned that the large-scale projects contained in the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) "will have a devastating impact on our communities at a time when we all need to fix our roads and increase the capacity of our existing infrastructure ... Improving traffic safety and reducing traffic congestion should be of utmost importance, yet the Draft STIP ignores these critical issues." Clearly, this project requires additional evaluation and public input prior to any decision for construction. We also need to know the annual maintenance costs and what, if any, tolls might be required to support the crossing.

Frank Murkowski, Republican

These projects are a valued investment in Alaska's future and I support them. This administration has made it a priority to improve Alaska's infrastructure so that our state is better connected for the benefit of all Alaskans, which includes those that live in Southeast, Southcentral, Interior and rural Alaska.

The Ketchikan/Gravina Island bridge will finally open up vast borough land holdings to development, which will meet the needs of its citizens for responsible growth and development in the future. Currently land is scarce in Ketchikan and as a result, very expensive. This has severely limited diversification of the local economy for industrial, commercial, residential and recreational pursuits. As many Alaskans know, current access to Ketchikan's airport relies on a ferry. A permanent crossing will improve the reliability of access for emergency personnel and equipment, as well as passengers and freight shipment.

The Anchorage Bowl currently is land-locked with limited options for new land development. The populations of Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough are projected to grow substantially in the next 25 years. Currently about 20 percent of the Mat-Su labor force commutes to Anchorage. If you think traffic is bad now, just wait!

The Knik Arm Crossing will connect these two communities. It will provide access to developable land, which will be just a few minutes away from Anchorage by way of the bridge. This will increase affordable housing choices, more customers for businesses and a decreased commute time. It will also provide a direct connection for freight to the Interior, meaning more efficient service to the Interior and fewer freight trucks through Anchorage to the Glenn and Parks highways.

Using a share of future highway funds for these projects means that Alaska will have to balance priorities. Contrary to the statements by some, communities did not get fewer federal transportation dollars for local projects because of these two bridge projects. I understand that some find it easier to "just say no" and play to the crowd that wants to see Alaska stand still - or go backward - in building the economic opportunities for the future. Just think, about 40 years ago the New Seward Highway didn't even exist and today more than 60,000 vehicles travel it each day.

In politics, too often it is easier to view Alaska in the short-term (i.e. the next election) and focus on projects that benefit those in Alaska today. The challenge of leadership is to look at the next 25 to 50 years and get Alaska ready to meet the needs of tomorrow. These two projects do just that.

Sarah Palin, Republican

During the last legislative session, there were a number of big-ticket items around the state that were partially funded in the capital budget. This includes the Juneau road, the bridge to Gravina Island and the Knik Arm Crossing. All of these projects require a long-term commitment of funding in order to complete their construction. My evaluation and position is one of balancing the need to keep developing our state toward the future - but also making sure our state has sufficient resources to actually build all of these projects.

As governor, it would be my goal to see to progress on the bridge projects, with the Legislature's concurrence. Our lawmakers will help set the state priorities after much public input and debate. Communities and individuals who are affected by these proposed projects will continue discussing their concerns and desires throughout planning stages, and they will be listened to.

Almost $200 million has already been directed toward getting these projects started, but this represents less than half of what ultimately must be spent. As each project moves forward, the state will need to continue securing the necessary combination of federal, state, local and private funding sources envisioned. For example, the financing plan for the Knik Arm Crossing calls for the inclusion of toll fees. The efforts of the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) could also continue to be supported by the state. The authority is a political subdivision of the state, and can also offer opportunities to access tax-exempt and other financing from the capital markets.