The Ketchikan Gateway Borough is not the winner of a contest that could’ve built a free, underwater commuter tunnel between the city and Gravina Island, where the airport is.
Nearly 500 applicants from around the world submitted proposals for the “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” a demonstration project led by Elon Musk’s construction firm, The Boring Company. According to its website, the company will construct a tunnel up to a mile long and 12 feet wide for the contest’s winner.
Ketchikan Borough assemblymember Rodney Dial, who stumbled upon the opportunity, said in an interview with KRBD that there’s a need for a fixed access route between the two islands because the airport’s ferry fleet is nearing the end of its operational life. He said replacing just one could cost around $30 million. The airport is also undergoing a multi-million dollar expansion, which could bring additional passengers to Ketchikan.
“We have a number of issues that a fixed link could solve, as well as promoting sustained economic development for our community,” Dial said. “That’s really the big picture here is we just need to start thinking big, looking for ways that we can address known problems while at the same time growing the economy.”
Dial said a ferry alternative to Gravina could also open up land to combat Ketchikan’s housing crunch. At a Feb. 2 borough assembly meeting, Dial said that a fixed route to Gravina could be “the greatest economic opportunity the community’s ever seen.” Dial co-sponsored a resolution last month alongside assemblymember Sharli Arntzen supporting the proposal, which gained unanimous support from the assembly.
Earlier this month, Ketchikan’s tunnel proposal was in the top 16 finalists. The Boring Company announced Monday that it will move forward with three tunnel proposals in New Orleans, Baltimore and Dallas.
Even though Ketchikan was not selected as the contest’s winner, Dial said submitting the no-cost proposal was worth a shot.
“Who knows where this will lead, but I’m hopeful that something positive will come out of it,” Dial said.
Dial hopes the opportunity will lead to future consulting with The Boring Company that could help to develop a fixed access route between Ketchikan and Gravina Island.
Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.
