Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
Category: Public Services & Government Landmarks & Historical Buildings Landmarks & Historical Buildings [Edit]
Portage Glacier HwyWhittier, AK 99693
(907) 472-2584
3 reviews for Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
3 reviews in English
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Review from Jilly j.
New York, NY
7/28/2008
The Whitter Tunnel is an interesting one to say the least! 2.6 miles long running thur a mountain! It took 306 days to build. Beware of falling rocks and melting snow that leaks into the tunnel.
A one line tunnel that both cars (some with huge boats lached on to their rigs) and the Alaskan Railroad use to gain access to the town of Whitter. You're only allowed to drive through when directed, depending which side of the tunnel your on.
The tunnel opens and closes at a certain time, think last exit from Whitter is midnight so make sure to check times. -
Review from Becca C.
8/6/2011
This is most certainly the longest stretch of road I've ever driven in a tunnel. Which is no surprise since it's the second longest highway tunnel. Cars have to line up on each side since the tunnel is one-way traffic only. And you may be help up longer if there's the AK railroad train coming through with cruise passengers. However, the wait isn't usually more than 15-30minutes, so it's not a big deal. Driving through was interesting; you don't go more than 30mph, so you have time to let it soak in just how much blasting they had to do to get this accomplished. Really cool!
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Review from Danielle C.
Chicago, IL
10/15/2007 2 photos
Alright, so driving around the Alaskan Countryside today, I kept running into a British bloke, with the same rental car as me. It became somewhat of a joke, neither of us had a clue where we were going, but were ending up in the same places. He mentioned Whittier to me. For some reason, he had been wanting to see the town since he was a child-. WHY?
Well, it has quite a history, going back to WWII, and is pretty interesting.
The one thing that made me want to go was the tunnel. It is the only access point to this town, other than the Prince Williams Sound. It has been carved into the middle of a mountain, and only has room for one lane of traffic. Trains use it too! So, each 1/2 hour, one side of the road is closed, crossing gates go down, and the cars and trucks wait for 30 minutes for the other side to go. Randomly, both sides are stopped so a train can get through.
Imagine, driving underneath a mountain in a dim, dank, and dark tunnel. Falling rocks are a very common thing, and water seeps in through the ceiling. Emergency phones are accessible about every 200 feet. Pull off safety houses are available, with signs stating- if you see flashing lights, go to a safe house! The safe house is through a door in the side of the mountain... Totally BIZARRE!! AND--the narrow road, surrounded by mountain and completely enclosed has Railroad tracks in the middle of it! Your wheels continually get stuck in the track ruts. Kind of felt like I was in the twilight zone- it was worth the 12.50 to drive through!
On my way back to the park, and out of Whittier itself, I saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel. I kept wondering what it was, and if they ever accidentally let cars in from both sides at once. It would mean a head on collision... as I let myself get freaked, I came out the other end. It was a train waiting- much worse than a car!
GREAT DRIVE- if you are in the area- do it!Listed in: Yeah- I'm fast!, YUKON HO!!
