Too many ways to cross the river

Topline: In 2010, the City of Bothell, Washington used $260,000 of federal funds to build a pedestrian bridge across its North Creek just north of Seattle.

It would have been a great solution to help pedestrians reach the other side of the river, if there was actually any difficulty in crossing. Instead, the project was rendered useless by the sidewalk that crossed the river less than 100 feet away from the new bridge.

That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses.

Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname “Dr. No” by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn’t stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.

Coburn’s Wastebook 2010 included 100 examples of outrageous spending worth more than $11.5 billion, including Bothell’s redundant bridge — which cost $375,000 in today’s money.

Key facts: The expense used up roughly a quarter of the $1.1 million stimulus grant the city received to improve Bothell Trail.

Residents of Bothell told The Seattle Times the bridge was “embarrassing” and “not needed.”

Meanwhile, Bothell’s low-income neighborhood was left without the aid they requested. The South Park Bridge had recently closed down, forcing 20,000 vehicles per day to detour to a longer route.

Repairs to South Park Bridge did not start until 2012, once it was completely “deteriorated.” By that point, the replacement cost $3.5 million in city and federal funds.

In 2020, an investigation of a car and truck bridge over North Creek found deterioration and forced an “emergency closure.” It was yet another expense that perhaps would have been less burdensome had Bothell not blown $260,000 on the walking bridge.

Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com. 

Summary: Governmental duplication is nothing new, but it’s rarely as obvious as the North Creek bridge. Pedestrians crossing the bridge today can still see the sidewalk just feet away.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com