etch ikan ▁Bor ough ▁Assembly ▁turned ▁the ▁proposal ▁down ▁when ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁Governor ▁Tony ▁Know les ▁also ▁expressed ▁its ▁dis f avor ▁to ▁the ▁idea . ▁Event ually , ▁the ▁corpor ation ' s ▁prison ▁plans ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁expos ure ▁of ▁the ▁wide - r anging ▁Al aska ▁political ▁cor ruption ▁pro be , ▁which ▁eventually ▁ens n ared ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁Ted ▁Stevens . ▁The ▁bridge ▁idea ▁pers isted . ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Highway ▁Bill ▁provided ▁for ▁$ 2 2 3 m ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁Gra v ina ▁Island ▁Bridge ▁between ▁Gra v ina ▁Island ▁and ▁nearby ▁K etch ikan , ▁on ▁Rev ill ag ig edo ▁Island . ▁The ▁prov isions ▁and ▁ear marks ▁ ▁were ▁negoti ated ▁by ▁Al aska ' s ▁Rep . ▁Don ▁Young , ▁who ▁cha ired ▁the ▁House ▁Transport ation ▁Committee ▁and ▁were ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁Chair ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁App ropri ations ▁Committee , ▁Al aska ' s ▁Senator ▁Stevens . ▁This ▁bridge , ▁nick named ▁" The ▁Bridge ▁to ▁Now here " ▁by ▁critics , ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁auto ▁fer ry ▁which ▁is ▁currently ▁the ▁only ▁connection ▁between ▁K etch ikan ▁and ▁its ▁air port . ▁While ▁the ▁federal ▁ear mark ▁was ▁with dra wn ▁after ▁meeting ▁opposition ▁from ▁Oklahoma ▁Senator ▁Tom ▁Cob urn , ▁though ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Al aska ▁received ▁$ 3 0 0 ▁million ▁in ▁transport ation ▁fund ing , ▁ ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Al aska ▁continued ▁to ▁study ▁improvements ▁in ▁access