What took them so long to kill it?

Gov. Sarah Palin ordered state transportation officials Friday to abandoned the “bridge to nowhere” project that became a nationwide symbol of federal pork-barrel spending.

The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on one island in southeastern Alaska, to its airport on another nearby island.

“Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer,” Palin said in a news release.

She directed the transportation department to find the most “fiscally responsible” alternative for access to the airport.

[…]

Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young championed the project through Congress two years ago, securing more than $200 million for the bridge between Ketchikan, on Revillagigedo Island, and Gravina Island.

Under mounting political pressure over pork projects, Congress stripped the earmark – or stipulation – that the money be used for the airport, but still sent the money to the state for any use it deemed appropriate.

The state took much of that for other projects, and Palin said Friday the Ketchikan project was $329 million short of full funding.

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This is the problem with Congress, they take out the project but send the money anyway. Sheesh! No wonder they lost the Senate and the House.