There are many places that have been labeled a “[Name You Favorite Transportation Infrastructure] to Nowhere”. Sometimes they exist to reference an abandoned site. Other times they focus on an improvement that seemed to benefit an unusually small constituency. I’ll mention two rather well-known instances briefly today. Naturally I will ignore the political issues involved as the gory details aren’t particularly important to this article. Then I’ll then focus a larger portion of my attention on something I stumbled upon by happenstance.
Bridge to Nowhere
This designation came to great prominence in 2005. At that time Congress was considering an appropriation of more than $300 million for the Gravina Island Bridge across the Tongass Narrows. The bridge would have provided a direct connection between Ketchikan, Alaska on Revillagigedo Island with its airport on Gravina Island (map). Historically, residents used a ferry service that ran every 15-30 minutes.
The Gravina Island Bridge failed to receive Federal funding after considerable public outcry. It wasn’t the most cost-effective solution for the 8,900 residents of Ketchikan.
There are other “bridges to nowhere” including those located in:
- New Zealand (built in anticipation of roads never constructed)
- Arizona (replaced by another bridge)
- Scotland (intended to link to a structure never built)
Airport to Nowhere
As I write this article in December 2010, the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Pennsylvania handles three scheduled commercial airline arrivals and departures each day (map). That’s why many call it an Airport to Nowhere. However, it is a participant in the Essential Air Service (EAS), a government program designed to subsidize flights to communities that would otherwise lose commercial air service in a deregulated environment.
Highway to Nowhere
Then I discovered an odd little spur in Illinois as I examining Interstate Highways to search for corner-cutting segments. The label said Interstate 180 and it led mysteriously to a tiny corner along the Illinois River.
Hennepin seems like a nice enough place. Nonetheless, what distinguishes this village of 700 people from thousands of other settlements with similar populations? Why do they have a 13-mile magic carpet ride to the outside world while others travel along country lanes?
Explanation
It had nothing to do with the fine people of Hennepin as far as I could tell. I’m sure they deserve good things although perhaps not their own personalized Interstate spur. The justification used at the time, the late 1960’s, focused on an alternate purpose: a steel mill and rolling plant. One hears about “Interstate Highways” but the complete name is actually the “Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways“. Accordingly, steel is a vital military component that requires access to a defense highways in times of war. So it seemed to fit a need.
Does this explanation satisfy you? Personally, I find it lacking. All manner of well-maintained state and county roads radiate from Hennepin and exit onto nearby Interstate highways. It’s not like these lightly-traveled rural byways would completely choke with traffic during national emergencies. Google Maps estimates an 18-minute trip from Hennepin to Interstate 80 via I-180. Then it calculates a 23-minute trip to Interstate 39 via State Route 71. The spur saves five minutes.
The Real Explanation
This isn’t a secret or a surprise. Kurami.com’s 3-digit interstate highways page examined the situation and provided a great explanation (source citations are available on the Kurami page):
“I-180 was added to the Interstate system on Jan. 25, 1967; and opened in the fall of 1969. In 1970, a study by the General Accounting Office (GAO) concluded that I-180 was constructed to satisfy the demands of a steel company (Jones & Laughlin) looking to locate a plant in Hennepin. By objective criteria, more important routes in Tacoma and Tucson were turned down at the same time I-180 was approved. ‘No other interstate route has been constructed primarily to serve a private manufacturing company, and no other interstate spur serves an area with such a small population,’ the GAO said. Another surprise: the $44M freeway’s cost per mile was about four times the prevailing rate at the time.”
The mill closed soon thereafter. Then it reopened in 2002 and closed once again in 2009, passing through a variety of different owners along the way. The Illinois Department of Transportation considers I-180 the least traveled interstate in the state. Only 2,000 vehicles pass through daily. There are vague plans to connect this with a four-lane road to Peoria but until then it will continue to serve as a highway to nowhere.
[UPDATE: I drove the length of I-180 in 2017!]
There are lots of X’s to Nowhere. Which one is your favorite?
Leave a Reply