FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is the Gravina Access Project?
The Gravina Access Project is a State of Alaska transportation project to improve surface transportation between Revillagigedo Island and Gravina Island in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. Currently, public access between the islands is available via a ferry service that transports vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians from Ketchikan across Tongass Narrows to the Ketchikan International Airport terminal on Gravina Island. The Gravina Access Project addresses the need for improved access to developable land, improved access to the airport, and long-term economic development on Gravina Island. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gravina Access Project.

2. What crossing locations were considered?
DOT&PF considered nine build alternatives for the Gravina Access Project in its EIS. These nine alternatives include three ferry alternatives (Alternatives G2, G3, and G4), two 200-foot high bridge crossings [Alternatives C3(a) and C4] and two 120-foot high bridge crossings [Alternatives C3(b), and D1] near the airport, a Pennock Island alternative with a 200-foot high bridge from Revilla Island to Pennock Island and a 120-foot high bridge from Pennock Island to Gravina Island (Alternative F1), a Pennock Island alternative with a 60-foot high bridge from Revilla Island to Pennock Island and a 200-foot high bridge from Pennock Island to Gravina Island (Alternative F3). These nine alternatives and the No Action Alternative were evaluated in the EIS.

3. Did you consider all of the navigational traffic, including cruise ships, ferries and floatplane traffic in Tongass Narrows when designing the proposed bridge structures?
Tongass Narrows supports an intricate marine and aviation transportation network. The project team met with marine and air transportation providers to gather their input. We researched the existing Ketchikan International Airport runway approach requirements and identified airspace infringement locations. Specialists conducted cruise ship simulations for transits under the bridge alternatives. Floatplane operations were assessed. All this information was used in structure selection and preliminary design of the access alternatives. The EIS includes a complete assessment of impacts to marine navigation and aviation.

4. What is the National Environmental Policy Act, and how does it affect this project?
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a federal law that governs environmental analysis of federally funded projects like the Gravina Access Project. An EIS is usually prepared for major projects. The EIS describes the positive and negative environmental, social, cultural, and economic impacts of a project. The EIS process involves the public and discloses impacts. The EIS is used by the lead federal agency (in this case, the FHWA) to make a decision about the best approach to accomplishing the stated purpose of the project.

5. What is the status of the EIS?
DOT&PF, along with FHWA, completed the Final EIS and released it for public review on August 6, 2004. The public comment period on the Final EIS ended on September 7, 2004. The FHWA issued its Record of Decision, identifying Alternative F1 as the selected alternative on September 15, 2004.

6. Will there be other opportunities to comment on the project?
There are no more opportunities to comment on the project as part of the formal NEPA process. If you would like to provide us with comments or have questions about the project, our Project Feedback page describes how to contact us.

7. What is the role of the U.S. Coast Guard?
Because the project involves construction of a bridge over a navigable waterway, a bridge permit will have to be obtained from the U.S. Coast Guard in accordance with Section 9 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. To issue a bridge permit, the Coast Guard is required to comply with NEPA. The Coast Guard fulfilled its NEPA compliance obligation by being a cooperating agency for the Gravina Access Project EIS.

8. How is this project being funded?
The “Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century” (TEA-21) allocates $20,443,000 to “Construct a bridge joining the Island of Gravina to the community of Ketchikan on Revilla Island.” This federal funding must be matched at 20%. The DOT&PF has committed so far to matching the initial stages of project development, through environmental review and engineering design.

9. The build alternatives all cost more than $20 million. Where will other funding come from?
The costs associated with the selected alternative is approximately $315 million. Full funding for construction has not been identified. Like most of Alaska’s capital transportation expenditures, the federal government will be asked to fund the bulk of it.

10. Why can’t we spend the allocated funds on other much-needed projects on Revillagigedo Island?
Federal legislation designated these funds specifically for the Gravina Access Project. The money cannot be spent on other transportation projects or in other ways without Congressional authorization.

11.Who do I contact for more information?
Please visit our Contacts page for information on how to contact us.