Nov 192012
A harbor for Akutan, but no road to it
The US Army Corps of Engineers built a $29 million harbor two miles from the Innuit town of Akutan (year-round population: 75) but didn’t build a road between the two. That’s ok, because:
Air service to Alaskan island ends despite new $75.5 million airport
The airport for Akutan was built six miles away on another island (Akun). Granted, the people can’t use the harbor to access the airport, since they can’t get to the harbor… but they can take the 2007-vintage “Suna X” hovercraft from Akutan to Akun. Except for the fact that the British hovercraft is broke down most of the time. Mail service used to come in via a Grumman Goose amphibian… but when the old harbor at Akutan was modified to accommodate the hovercraft, the Goose could no longer run up the ramp there. So Akutan has a shiny new airport that they can’t actually get to most of the time.
Awesome.
Keep in mind: the same types of bureaucrats making these infrastructure decisions will be making your health care decisions.