whittier tunnel history

Whittier Tunnel - gorgeous drive to Whittier Alaska - YouTube The Whittier Tunnel, November 20, 1942). It links the Seward Highway south of Anchorage with Whittier and is the only land access to the town. The work week begins Sunday evening and ends Friday mornings. It stated, in part: “HOLING THROUGH the Whittier railroad tunnel is a milestone to the development of Alaska. For further questions or information, please contact: Gordon S. Burton, Facility Manager Phone: 907-472-2584 Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 5300 East Tudor Road Anchorage, Alaska 99507 Fax: 907-472-2533 They used Portage Creek for fishing purposes and established a series of trails along the creek. [8], In 1944, it was estimated by Otto Ohlson, General Manager of the Alaska Railroad, that the Whittier cutoff allowed the Alaska Railroad to carry “approximately 75 percent more freight traffic with existing equipment than would have been possible through the Seward Gateway.” [9]. Be sure to check out the local attractions on your drive, from numerous photo stops along scenic … Generally, the tunnel is open for entry for 15 minutes each way, once each hour. On June 1, 1943, the Whittier rail line opened with train connections to Anchorage and to Fairbanks. In an elaborate ceremony on March 10, 1943, the West Construction Company was presented with the Army-Navy Production Award or “E” Pennant, the highest award given to private industry for meritorious service. The Seward-Portage line carried the Alaska Railroad’s peacetime commercial traffic, but it was incapable of handling much military traffic without a major reconstruction. Whittier was closer to Anchorage, and it was decided to construct an extension of the railroad from Portage to Whittier.” [3], In Southcentral Alaska, this second port, Whittier, provided a safer, more secure life line to Alaska on the route which became Alaska’s main supply link for the war effort. See also, Anton A. Anderson to Major A.E. Charles Hendricks, Engineer Memoirs:  Brigadier General Benjamin B. Talley (Fort Belvoir, VA:  Office of History, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1994, 115; File No. Once the military port of Whittier opened, plans had called for abandoning the rail line between Seward and Portage. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, better known as the Whittier Tunnel, is the longest dual-use, or bimodal, highway tunnel in North America. 1-5, U.S. On November 23, the Times editorialized in a patriotic, but partially racist, view of the project’s importance for the war effort and Alaska’s future development. Benjamin B. and Virginia M. Talley, “Building Alaska’s Defenses in World War II,” In Alaska at War, 1941-1945:  The Forgotten War Remembered, Fern Chandonnet, ed. Whittier is located east of Seward on Passage Canal in Prince William Sound, and today is accessible via an eleven-mile side road from the Seward Highway. Whittier Tunnel, Transportation & Public Facilities, State of Alaska Enjoy the unique experience of a trip to Whittier, Alaska, driving the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America! As then Colonel Benjamin Talley, Officer in Charge, Alaska Construction, later wrote, “There was a large wooden trestle on the Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Seward. Enjoy the unique experience of a trip to Whittier, Alaska, driving the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America! Despite difficult working and living conditions and washed out bridges, West Construction Company crews completed the project six months ahead of schedule. As described by historian William H. Wilson: “The party noted Passage Canal’s drenching rains but saw no obstacles to port, townsite, and terminal developments. Whittier, as a rail port, reduced exposure of the life line to Alaska. [6], In the spring of 1941, survey parties under the direction of Olavi “Ole” Kukkola and Anton Anderson determined the final locations for the two tunnels, railroad, and terminal. Whittier Tunnel, Alaska. The first part of the tunnel route was constructed in the early 1900s by the military during World War II as a passage acting as the main supply route for goods to and from Whittier. Russian fur traders and early settlers continued to use the valley, establishing a trail along the creek and the Portage and Bu… Tunnel holing through ceremonies, November 20, 1942. Other work was completed on the dock, terminal, port facilities, and an army garrison. (Fairbanks:  University of Alaska Press, 2008), 63. A track through Kenai Peninsula’s neck was possible if the railroad bored beneath the mountains 13,005 feet through the eastern mass, 4,960 feet through the western. This short highway tunnel (400 feet) was constructed as part of the first phase of the Whittier Access Project. Kiewit crews converted the 1940s-era railroad tunnel into a state-of-the-art multi-use rail/automobile tunnel. Whittier Harbor. On June 8, 1941, a cost-plus-fee contract was negotiated with the West Construction Company at the estimated contract cost of $3,110,206. William H. Wilson, Railroad in the Clouds:  The Alaska Railroad in the Age of Steam, 1914-1945 (Boulder, Co.:  Pruett Publishing Co., 1977, 253. The earliest evidence of the Portage Valley being used for transportation dates back to early A.D, when the Inuit people used the flat, low-lying valley as a pass through the Chugach Mountains. Whittier Access Tunnel Whittier, Alaska. On April 23, 1943 workers completed the spur, which consisted of a 1-mile tunnel through Begich Peak and a 2.5-mile tunnel through Maynard Mountain, thus linking Whittier to the Alaska Railroad's main line at Portage. Driving from Anchorage to Whittier to play in Prince William Sound? Use this timetable to plan your trip through the Whittier Tunnel. One of the unique features of Whittier is a 2.5-mile long tunnel that is shared by alternating one-way auto traffic and railroad traffic. 11:00 - 11:15 pm Whittier to Bear Valley It is recommended that tunnel users be in the staging area at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled opening to help us Whittier’s development can be deciphered in buildings still in use today. Be sure to check out the local attractions on your drive, from numerous photo stops along scenic Turnagain Arm to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier, and the longest tunnel in North America. Tunnel details can be found at the State of Alaska site HERE. By the spring of 1942, rapid progress was made at the Whittier Tunnel, but not at the Portage Tunnel, where a lack of power to operate the equipment slowed construction. Most construction supplies to meet the needs of the Alaska supply effort had to be shipped from Seattle by sea, and Alaska itself lacked a land-based transportation infrastructure of harbor facilities, airports, railroads, and highways, which was being quickly assembled by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. Portage Lake Tunnel Immediately after passing over the Portage Creek Bridge, you will travel through the two-lane Portage Lake Tunnel. The rail line ran from tidewater on Prince William Sound, then west 14.2 miles across the narrow neck of the Kenai Peninsula to Portage at the head of Turnagain Arm. Whittier’s history as a Cold War Army Port is recounted on signs affixed to the large concrete buildings that have survived 60-70 years. You can enjoy it either in your car or onboard the Alaska Railroad. Despite hazardous mountain and glacier climbing, severe wind and rain, and poor inter-camp communication, the preliminary survey work was completed over the summer. The Dena'ina people continued using the valley as a passage between Cochrane Bay and the Turnagain Arm. Work on the rail bed began in the summer of 1941, and continued through the winter, with crews clearing ten to fifteen-foot snow drifts, and regularly working in winds from twenty to thirty miles per hour and zero temperatures. Local tips include when you should leave from Girdwood or Anchorage to make the tunnel. Pay attention to the access schedule. Ensuring the safety of tunnel users is the top priority. 68:  “Ceremonies--Whittier (Holing through/dedication),” Alaska Railroad Photograph Collection, Anchorage Museum (B1979.002). Its official name is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The rail line cutoff to Whittier reduced exposure of ships to Japanese submarines and was safer from air attacks than the Seward route. This work is designed to improve the tunnel for the future. A bit blurry, but it was the best I was able to do from the car with the low light conditions. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel , the longest highway tunnel in North America, opened in June 2000 after extensive conversion from a World War Two railway tunnel. Known by locals as the Whittier tunnel or the Portage tunnel, the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a tunnel through Maynard Mountain. The berths can accommodate … All content ©2020 Cook Inlet Historical Society. Portage Glacier, the team reported, had receded and was no longer an obstacle to construction. The project was an effort to improve the handling capacity of the overtaxed Alaska Railroad, which began at Seward on the southern coast and ran to Fairbanks in the northern interior. On November 21, 1942, the Anchorage Daily Times announced the holing through of the Whittier tunnel through a rock formation to provide access to the new port of Whittier on Passage Canal, an arm of Prince William Sound. The tunnel accommodates two lanes of traffic and a full paved roadway shoulder. Whittier, the gateway to Prince William Sound, has more than 700,000 visitors annually, and is one of the state’s largest tourist attractions. Later, the passage was used by Russian and American explorers, and by prospecting miners during the Klondike Gold Rush. Whittier is an easy 63-mile drive south of Anchorage on the scenic Seward Highway or Highway “1” on driving maps. Establishing a camp at Whittier, the engineers from Anderson’s party surveyed a site for the terminal, and determined the route from Whittier to the south portion of the Portage Tunnel. The Whittier port, navigable year-round by ocean vessels, provided a shortcut to a new and improved deep water outlet on Passage Canal (a trip to Seward added 52 more miles). There were supplemental agreements to the prime contract, in the amount of $7,774,236 for other phases of the Whittier Project. The most prominent headline of the November 21st edition declared, “Open Alaska Railroad Whittier Tunnel.”. Known by locals as the Whittier tunnel or the Portage tunnel, the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a tunnel through Maynard Mountain.It links the Seward Highway south of Anchorage with Whittier and is the only land access to the town. The two tunnels were separated by Bear Valley and drilled through the Chugach Mountains. Driving through the two mile long, one lane Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is an interesting experience. Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel: When in Whittier, go through the tunnel. The nearby Whittier Glacier was named for American poet John Greenleaf Whittier in 1915, and the town eventually took the name as well. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, better known as the Whittier Tunnel, is the longest dual-use, or bimodal, highway tunnel in North America. To that end, the size of vehicles that can pass through the tunnel will be limited. The tunnel that connects Whittier to the Seward Highway is a marvel of engineering. Known by locals as the Whittier tunnel or the Portage tunnel, the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a tunnel through Maynard Mountain. As World War II progressed, the U.S. Army needed additional ports to move troops and to handle the increased freight tonnages of war materials and equipment that were shipped to Alaska and to provide an alternative port if Seward became inaccessible. For Current Hours and Updates Click Below, Copyright 2020 | Whittier Alaska Chamber of Commerce | All Rights Reserved, Glacier View Condo Suites Whittier Alaska. Done six months ahead of schedule, the 13,000-foot hole stands as a permanent answer to the Japanese menace, to the scoffers who said it was ‘impossible’ and to those people who plan to make Alaska their home in future years. It is a unique passage into and out of the town of Whittier and the gateway to Prince William Sound and all the fun it has to offer. The importance of a railroad route between Turnagain Arm and Passage Canal was realized much earlier by the builders of the Alaska Central Railway, but it was not until 1914 when a seven-man topographical party carefully mapped this route for the Alaskan Engineering Commission. It links the Seward Highway south of Anchorage with Whittier and is the only land access to the town. The A.E.C.’s preliminary survey was so well executed that the line, completed twenty years later, covered almost exactly the same ground.” [5], In 1939, surveyors Porter Berryhill and Earl Grammar of the Alaska Railroad reexamined the proposed 1914 route. In 1998, the Whittier Tunnel, later renamed as the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, was modified to handle both railroad and vehicle traffic. Beginning October 28, 2018 through April 30, 2019, the tunnel will have early closures for construction. Alaska Railroad Photograph Collection, Anchorage Museum (B1979.002.1806). May 1 to September 30: Open daily 5:30 am to 11:15 pm, Effective October 1 to April 30 – Open daily 7:00 am to 10:45 pm. Had this been destroyed, Southcentral would have been cut off from most shipping. Engineer Camp, Portage Survey [Alaska]; File No. From a camp at Portage Valley, Kukkola surveyed the south to the north end of the proposed Whittier Tunnel. James D. Bush, Jr., Narrative Report of Alaska Construction, 1941-1944 (Anchorage:  Construction Division Office, 1944), 122-125. History, tunnel facts, operational information, and construction details are available on this website. On November 23, the Times editorialized in a patriotic, but partially racist, view of the project’s importance for the war effort and Alaska’s future development. The holing through ceremony was covered by the Anchorage Daily Times on November 21 and 23, the extracts of which were published in pamphlet form (Holing Through. This ice-free harbor is great for any avid boater. The walking tour map with short history is located at the P-12 Motor Pool building across the street from the pedestrian tunnel. With the Whittier port in operation, the Alaska Railroad avoided the 50-mile mountainous section of railroad grades between Seward and Portage. The Design-Build Institute of America awarded the project its 2001 Design-Build Excellence award for the best civil project over $15 million. The $60 million Whittier Access Tunnel was Alaska's first design-build transportation project. Driving towards Whittier, the tunnel opens for 15 minutes at the bottom of every hour. Whittier Tunnel Whittier, Alaska 23 Aug 2000 Driving through the Whittier Tunnel. Book your tickets online for Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, Whittier: See 542 reviews, articles, and 177 photos of Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 14 attractions in Whittier. Construction of a massive railway tunnel was undertaken to … Progress reports indicated that the men expected to “hole through” on the Portage Tunnel the first week in November and on the Whittier Tunnel two weeks later. With the onset of war, though, the War Department determined that the rail line running from Seward to Portage, nearly 100 miles in length, made it vulnerable. On April 23, 1943 workers completed the spur, which consisted of a 1-mile tunnel through Begich Peak and a 2.5-mile tunnel through Maynard Mountain, thus linking Whittier to the Alaska Railroad's main line at Portage. In 2000, the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was overhauled for auto traffic and now is the longest 'railroad-highway' tunnel in North America at 2.7 miles. McDermott, “Report of Work Accomplished by South End Survey Party, Passage Canal, from May 15th to July 2, 1941,” July 14, 1941, pp. Mighetto and Homstad, Engineering in the Far North, 68; and File No. It vindicates those proponents of the project who had the vision to see its military and economic necessity as well as its physical practicality. Website by Little Bird Design Studio.aLL pHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ANCHORAGE MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. Holing through ceremonies on November 20, 1942. The tunnel tells the slant-eyed Jap that Uncle Sam is going to keep his forces supplied in Alaska and has no intention of leaving the great Northland vulnerable to the rape of the yellow hordes. The region occupied by Whittier was once part of the portage route of the Chugach people native to Prince William Sound. In the fall of 1942, the West Construction Company, Alaska Railroad, and troops from the 42nd and 177th Engineer General Service Regiments and the 714th Railroad Battalion laid the track from Portage to Whittier. [4]. Whittier Tunnel History. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes ordered that the Seward-Portage route not be closed, and it was kept in operation. It muffles forever the scoffers who said it was physically impossible or economically impractical to run a tunnel two and one-half miles through glacier-covered mountains. “Watch your Step.” Climbing over debris after the final blast. (a) The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, including associated vehicle staging areas, and the section of the road commonly known as the Portage Glacier Highway between milepost 5.1, near Portage Creek, Alaska, and the Whittier Ferry Terminal is designated as a toll facility. Based on their results, the entire Whittier Project was authorized by Congress in 1941, with an appropriation of $5,300,000 for the drilling of two tunnels, fourteen miles of new line for the Alaska Railroad, and the construction of a terminal on Portage Canal. The work at Whittier required boring a railroad tunnel 13,900 feet long (Whittier Tunnel), constructing a dock and terminal facility at Portage, building a shorter tunnel (Portage Tunnel, later called Moraine Tunnel, 4,910 feet long, on the west side of the project close to the moraine of nearby Portage Glacier), and the laying of fourteen miles of railroad track from Portage to Whittier. Then they close the tunnel to allow for on-coming traffic leaving Whittier and for train use. With a new rail connection to Whittier, the area began to change. 82:  Whittier Tunnel Holing Through Ceremony Programs; Presentation Ceremony, March 10, 1943, Army-Navy Production Award, January 9, 1943, to West Construction Company, Whittier Cut-Off, Alaska Railroad; Benjamin B. Talley Papers, 1925-2002 (HMC-0241), Box 3; Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage. Please check the project webpage for more construction information at http://www.whittiertunnelmaint.com/ We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period. The U.S. Army chose this wind-swept site as a year-round ice-free deep-water port in 1941 to serve in case of disruption of Seward’s port. Alaska Railroad Cut Off, Alaska. This video is about motorcycling through the 2.5 mile long Whittier Tunnel in south-central Alaska. Otto F. Ohlson, General Manager of the Alaska Railroad (left), shakes hands with Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner, Jr. (right), after holing through blast. The tunnel will operate on the normal schedule Friday evening through Sunday morning, and during all holidays. After the 1960’s when the town of Whittier was abandoned by the military, the Alaska highway system inherited the tunnel. The Whittier Access Tunnel was Alaska's first design-build transportation project. Whittier is an easy 63-mile drive south of Anchorage on the scenic Seward Highway or Highway “1” on driving maps. Prince William Sound, Alaska History, Alaska Women, Eliza Scidmore, Frederica DeLaguna, Dora Keen. Enjoy the unique experience of a trip to Whittier, Alaska, driving the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America! [7]. Vehicle Size Limitations and Tunnel Restrictions (Click here to view Tunnel Restrictions section at bottom of page) Vehicle Size Limitations. With a new rail connection from Whittier to Portage, the area began to change. Milestone” [Editorial], Anchorage Daily Times, November 23, 1942, 2; and Souvenir Booklet, Holing Through the Whittier Tunnel, November 20, 1942; Drawer 2, File No. The work will take place from 8:45 pm to 6:30 am. It promises Alaskans cheaper transportation that permits greater industrial activity, lower living costs and permanent development.” [1]. In 1941, West Construction Company crews began working at the Passage Canal site, but their progress was hampered by a shortage of workers and supplies. The Whittier Tunnel tolls start at $13 for a car and prices raise from there for larger vehicles with more axles. The Whittier Tunnel, also called the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, is a single lane 2.5 mile long tunnel, shared by cars, trucks, RVs, and trains. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a contract with the West Construction Company of Boston, Massachusetts to perform most of the work. During operating hours, 15 minutes of every hour are "reserved" for east-bound auto traffic, 15 minutes for west-bound auto traffic, and 30 minutes for train traffic (Alaska Railroad). It stated, in part: “HOLING THROUGH the Whittier railroad tunnel is a milestone to the development of Alaska. The tunnel provides access for Whittier to the road system. 1, Whittier Tunnel Construction Papers, 1941; Olavi V. Kukkola Papers, 1941-1964 (HMC-1084), Box 1; Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage. In 2000, the tunnel was opened to public access, and connects Whittier to Anchorage. By October 1942, good progress had been made on both tunnels. Alaska Railroad Photograph Collection, Anchorage Museum (B1979.002.5904). The scope of work for this $60 million project included increasing the crown height by an average of 1.5 feet to allow installation of six 75-hp jet fans. - See 544 traveler reviews, 187 candid photos, and great deals for Whittier, AK, at Tripadvisor. You’ll go through Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel—the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel in North America, and the first designed for -40 Fahrenheit temperatures and 150 mph winds! The Whittier Tunnel, November 20, 1942). Lisa Mighetto and Carla Homstad, Engineering in the Far North:  A History of the U.S. Army Engineer District in Alaska, 1887-1992 (Missoula, MT:  Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1997), 64-68. 7:  Charles Hendricks Interview, 1994; Benjamin B. Talley Papers, 1925-2002 (HMC-0241), Box 6; Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage. [2], Originally, Seward had been the port for all of Southcentral Alaska. William F. Willingham, Northwest Passages:  A History of the Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Volume II, 1920-1970 (Seattle:  Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1992-2006), 37; https://cdm16021.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll4/id/152 (accessed January 4, 2020). In buildings still in use today driving through the tunnel is open entry... Video is about motorcycling through the Chugach Mountains, one lane Anton Anderson tunnel. Whittier Railroad tunnel is a milestone to the town Bay and the town is great for any avid boater and... From there for larger whittier tunnel history with more axles access project as the Whittier tunnel, the tunnel for future. The only land access to the town Railroad Photograph Collection, Anchorage COLLECTIONS. From Girdwood or Anchorage to make the tunnel will have early closures for construction stated, part. Had this been destroyed, Southcentral would have been cut off from most shipping Railroad tunnel a! 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