Boondoggles
Basics
Washington DOT Chief: Seattle’s Big Highway Tunnel Might Not Get Built
Nearly five months after coming to a halt beneath the city of Seattle, Bertha -- the largest tunnel boring machine in the world -- is still immobilized. It had barely begun to clear space for the underground highway meant to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct when it broke down late last year.
April 30, 2014
Grassroots Efforts “Crushed” by Louisville’s $2.6 Billion Bridge Boondoggle
At $2.6 billion, the Ohio River Bridges project in Louisville, Kentucky, is the costliest in the state's history. It includes 18 elevated lanes, two enormously expensive bridges, a mammoth raised interchange, and a $225 million tunnel under an undeveloped suburban property ("Indiana's Big Dig").
November 20, 2013
Meet the $4.7 Billion Birmingham Highway Only Cronyism Could Build
It is really a testament to how dominant the highway industrial complex has become that we even have to talk about Birmingham's Northern Beltline, a $4.7 billion outerbelt first proposed in the 1960s. But with backing from big companies that would reap windfall real estate profits from the highway -- and with a U.S. Senator working to secure federal funding -- this boondoggle might actually get built.
January 28, 2013
Here They Are: The Best and Worst American Transportation Projects
Which transportation projects are the smartest investments, and which are the most ridiculous boondoggles? The Sierra Club has put together a solid list in a new report titled "Smart Choices, Less Traffic: The 50 Best and Worst Transportation Projects in the United States."
December 12, 2012
“Indiana’s Big Dig” Raises Bar on Absurdly Wasteful Highway Boondoggles
"Why is Indiana Paying $255 Million for a Tunnel Under Kentucky's Trees?" asked the Indianapolis Star in a recent headline.
June 25, 2012