Recently my wife and I had the privilege of visiting Norway. There are many similarities with Southeast Alaska: majestic mountains cascading into fjords, limited population in the North, some of the same flowers which blossom here and a national permanent fund 13 times larger than our Alaska Permanent Fund.
But there were also significant differences including a mindset among the people to refrain from solving international problems by military force, to build up and maintain the infrastructure of the country for the good of all and a willingness to venture into new cutting edge areas.
We drove through several of the 900+ roadway tunnels connecting the people.
The world’s longest highway tunnel, 15.2 miles, is in Norway, opened in 2000 and burrows beneath mountains towering almost 6000 feet.
One much shorter tunnel through which we traversed frequently made it possible for people on the far side of the dead end road to have easy access to the main roadway system.
It makes me think of our capital city. Those who say a road cannot be safely built point to the towering mountains, the danger of avalanches, and the cost of construction and maintenance. Yet we are a nation of 300+ million people, Norway just under 5 million.
Some say an access road would forever change the complexion of Juneau. It wouldn’t be the same anymore!
Is Juneau the same today as 50 years ago? Do you drive Egan Expressway or shop at Fred Meyers and Costco?
I enjoy all of them along with our long-time local businesses. What a difference a few well constructed tunnels and bridges would make on a Juneau access roadway!
Who knows, we might even find some gold in the process!
It’s time to adopt a positive attitude: Yes we can!
• Beran is an 18+ year resident who lives Out the Road.
Comments (10)
Add commentPossibilities...
are everywhere you look. This young man had the chance to experience realities somewhere else that are dismissed at home where possibilities are improbable. I just hope the pervasive lack of vision in this town doesn't drive this young man away. We can benefit from fresh minds that aren't landlocked. If Juneau experiences "brain drain", it's because improbability thinking digs the ditch.
I'm with you, Paul. I've worked a few tunnels myself. But, those mountains are the least of the obstacles of progress. Don't lose your vision. Without it, people perish.
It all comes down to money
What's the cost per mile of tunnel?
We may be a nation of 300 million+, but we're a town of less than 30,000. Is it right that we ask the rest of the nation to fund our billion dollar road? Norway has a far higher population density than SE Alaska, so the economics make sense for them. I'll bet thousands of people use that 15 mile tunnel every day.
But hey, if Governor Parnell is willing to cough up a cool billion, I'm fine with the road being built. Bad news, though. He wants to give it to the oil companies instead.
The road to nowhere's at
The road to nowhere's at 5-600 million now. How many billion with all the pretty tunnels? The feds are getting tired of paying out to Alaska. This one will be on us.
All to get you to Haines/Skagway faster, which helps exactly how?
Outside the box
At least Mr. Beran had the mindset to look at other ways to increase prosperity and growth in Juneau. Mainly, opening the place up to growth so we don't have a brain drain and have all the bright people leave. Juneau needs to be a place where we don't all depend on the Capital, its state jobs, pensions, and social programs. A good dose of prosperous private industry would be a good shot in the arm.
Silly.
Why spend a billion dollars just to get most of the way to Skagway? I am glad Paul enjoyed his trip to Norway, but what he saw there has nothing to do with our road situation here in Juneau. The value of the road would never be worth the expenditure.
Is it impossible??
All plans for a road from Juneau to Haines or Skagway, seem to be hung up on the assumption that there is no possible way in the world to have a complete and full connection to those destinations. Oh yes, I know there happens to be a wildlife reserve near Skaway. Is it impossible to find a way to have access through that area by road?? I realize that if one gets to Skagway that they will still have to drive hundreds of miles through Canada to get to Delta Junction. But if that is what people want, and it is economically possible to do so, is it impossible to do so??
I don't think a road is the best solution to our isolation, but if folks really want a road, then why not make it a complete highway connection??
I am not an attorney, legal authority, road engineer or whatever,but lets say there becomes a viable way to build a road from Juneau to Skagway, is there no way that it can be done without having a ferry and terminal near the end because there is a reserve near the end of the proposed road??
Move the capitol first
Then Build a road. If we move the capitol the anti everything bunch will move to anchorage (where they belong) and shaft the economy up there. After they are gone we can build roads, mine, log, whatever
Be realistic
State legislatures in many states meet away from the principal municipal center. For example, in the state of Washington the capitols is in Olympia, not in Seattle. The capital and legislature in California are located in Sacramento, not Los Angeles nor San Francisco
From my experience, I haven't seen the roads from Seattle to Olympian, Los Angeles to Sacramento, crowded with voters going to contact their elected representatives.
There are those that say the only way they can contact their elected representatives is to go to the places where they meet temporarily. No, state legislators spend most of their time in their home areas, have local offices and can be contacted there.
The real concern is not where the elected representatives come to make their final votes, but contacting them hroughout the year in their local offices and homes.
Throughout the year, lobbyists and special interest groups know exactly how to do this. They contact elected representatives promoting their interests year around. It doesn't happen in just the ninety or more days those representative happen to be voting on issues in Juneau or some capital city.
Voters need to do the same. They should not wait for the three months at the beginning of the year to contact their elected representatives.
Heck, our Legislature could meet in Unalaska, Barrow, Chalkysik, Nome or Bethel to cast their final and deciding what is best for Alaska, if enough of the folks "back home" told them how they wanted them to vote when they came together.
Build the All Alaska Gas Line First
Everyone in the Interior and rural Alaska has been paying money into the State via royalty oil revenue at the refineries for heating oil while Anchorage has not. Juneau has a dam and cheap electricity.
Add up what this totals out to over the last thirty years. Natural gas is subsidized in Anchorage. So is electricity.
Fuel oil is not subsidized in Fairbanks and electricity is not either.
The way I see it, Anchorage and Juneau owes the rest of the state 30 years back revenue for not putting their fair share into the state coffers like we have been doing forever. We all pay into it for gasoline and jet fuel that is derived from TAPS. BUT
Most people don't drive or fly as much as we heat our homes in the Interior.
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