KENT COUNTY, Mich. (WZZM) -- Wednesday we told you about the 2012 wastebook. It's Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn's list of the most ridiculous examples of government waste. One of those examples can be found in Kent County.
Alaska has bridges to nowhere, Kent County has sidewalks. 2012's top government wasteful spending list sites Kent County's "sidewalk to nowhere" at US 131 and 84th.
"It does look a little ridiculous and unfortunately there is a cost to it as well."
The sidewalk leads into a utility pole. The other direction leads to a highway on ramp.
"The cost of that was about $4,200 dollars out of $800,000 project. It's about a half percent of the project cost."
Wayne Harrall, with Kent County Road Commission says that's just the beginning. He drives us to other 'sidewalks to nowhere' at the intersection of Burlingame and 84th.
The cross walk and pedestrian ramp leads to an empty field or forces you to cross the street where there is also no sidewalk.
At our next location, Clyde Park and 84th Street. There is yet another concrete slab where pedestrians will cross the street and find themselves in the middle of the highway.
Harral says there is a reason for all of this--"What I would like the people at home to understand is that Kent County Road Commission is doing these because we must to utilize that 80 percent federal funding."
And to meet those federal requirements to get federal funding they have to put in sidewalk ramps for the handicapped-- just in case-- a sidewalk is added in the future.