Bridging the gap

By William H. Stewart
Special to the Saipan Tribune

There has been some talk about the possibility of a bridge, suspension I suppose, between the islands of Tinian and Saipan. I wonder if the proponents have ever heard of the Tacoma–Narrows bridge collapse that occurred in a high wind some years ago. Or considered the unusual height of the pillars at both ends. There is a formula for calculating the height of the vertical supporting columns relative to the horizontal length. I suppose it would be somewhat of a hazard for aircraft approaching either Saipan International Airport or the airport at Tinian, but what the heck, some say with a bridge there is no need to upgrade the Tinian airport. Tourists from Guam would still have to fly to Saipan and drive across the bridge. That might be an added thrill—crossing a swinging bridge in a high wind. My dear ol’ granny once said, “Billy, that’s very good for a severe case of constipation.”

With a suspension bridge of great height one must be aware that some people prone to suicide are apt to jump off. However, that may be remedied by making attempted suicide a capital offense in the islands. Such a great bridge has been estimated to cost only $100 million, not including the interest. At $5 toll per trip, the bridge will repay the principal after only 20 million vehicle trips. About 20,000 vehicles are currently licensed on Saipan and Tinian. It would take many years to pay for the bridge, assuming it remains standing and doesn’t get blown away by a typhoon, fall as a result of an earthquake, or simply rust to pieces for lack of funds for maintenance. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.

As a monumental debt for future generations, all the mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers may not be too grateful for exhibiting such vision. But people like to travel and there are not many places to go to. Many would enjoy driving back and forth to Tinian for a change of scenery. That stated, I doubt if the average daily traffic volumes would ever justify the expense of construction and operation.

While it may be possible from an engineering point of view to construct such a bridge, I seriously doubt that it would ever be economically feasible, (it doesn’t take much imagination to arrive at such a conclusion).

A $100 million loan financed over 30 years at 6 percent interest compounded would require a monthly payment of a little less that $600,000 or $7.2 million year. The interest alone would be about $116 million for a total bridge cost of $216 million. At $5 per one-way trip there would have to be 120,000 vehicles a month—every month crossing the bridge to meet the loan payments and this doesn’t allow for maintenance costs, which, in the corrosive salt air, would be significant.

Maybe the “toll keepers” would accept food stamps for the fare—or people could buy two cars and keep one on each side and walk across the span. Then too, maybe the Chinese would finance the bridge to support their casino on Tinian and offer to redeem the paid toll receipt at the craps table.

Personally, I think an automobile ferry is a better idea—and less expensive. It could connect three islands in the Northern Marianas and possibly Guam. The ocean is nothing more than a water highway anyway. On the subject of highways, those concerned over the central government’s possible diversion of money collected for the Retirement Fund for possible later use in meeting Interior’s dollar-for-dollar matching requirement for road improvements might agree with my dear ‘ol granny’s recommendation that, along with all the existing street signs, the following signage also be posted in Chamorro, Carolinian, English, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and Korean—to read: “This road improved by the partial use of money diverted from the Retirement Fund. Please Drive Carefully.”

I know that I can speak for all those who agree with me that perhaps Fund authorities could go to court and sue for the right to erect toll booths at various locations to recoup their members’ otherwise diverted “matched” investment contribution. That’s what I call creative financing.

(William Stewart, an economist and self-described “Financier Extraordinaire,” is the self-appointed vice president and CEO of the “United States National Society for Bitching to Improve Conditions in America and its Possessions, Territories, Commonwealths & Assorted Pacific Appendages.”)